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July 29, 2013

Review: Skull Creek Stakeout by Eddie Jones

Skull Creek Stakeout
Title: Skull Creek Stakeout (The Caden Chronicles, #2)
Author: Eddit Jones
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication date: August 6, 2013
Genre(s): Middle Grade (Mystery/Paranormal)
Source: Publisher 
Format: ARC
Pages: 183
The good news is...vampires aren't real. The bad news is...you can't believe the news. After solving the Deadwood ghost story, Nick lands a job as a roving reporter for The Cool Ghoul Gazette, a website on paranormal disturbances. When the editor sends Nick to investigate a murder, Nick finds a corpse sporting fangs, bite marks and a gaping hole in its chest, courtesy of a wooden stake. Will Nick unravel the truth behind the 'blood covenant, ' or will his new job suck the life out of him? Nick Caden has a 'supernatural' knack for finding trouble. He's a normal fourteen-year-old who attracts ghosts, vampires, and the undead---or so it seems. But Nick's relentless search for truth leads him into worlds of darkness with grave consequences, where the dead, dying and deranged walk... on really hot coals
Nick Caden is a 14 year old reporter for a website for the paranormal, called The Cool Ghoul Gazette. Which is exactly why he goes to Transylvania, North Carolina, investigating a murder for his editor. Expecting the usual murder case, Nick is chilled to the bone to see the body has fangs and bite marks on his neck. Not only that, but the body also was stabbed in the chest with a wooden stake. Talk about creepy! Nick now has to ask questions and risk his life to find the murderer of someone who may, or may not, be part of the walking undead... 
This book was great! The characters were engaging, and I just had to try and solve this mystery with Nick. Nick was a fantastic main character and detective, asking lots of questions and getting lots of answers. Eddie Jones thought like a 14 year old, so he wrote like a 14 year old. My favorite character is Meg, a witty girl who befriended Nick while he tried to solve this mystery. I loved a lot of her comebacks while joking around with Nick, as they seemed to be made on the spot instead of well thought out and rehearsed, like in some books I’ve read. 
The book was also very suspenseful, especially in the climax, where I was on the edge of my seat, reading everything very quickly. The pacing in Skull Creek Stakeout was very fast and compelling at suspenseful parts of the story, but slower during interrogations, as if the author wanted you to catch every detail. I don’t feel like there are any parts that were unnecessary, because everything seemed to fit into place. As you guys know, first person POV (Point Of View) is my favorite type of POV, so that automatically makes me like this book's writing style, but I also liked the way Eddie Jones created a somewhat suspenseful scene very vividly before moving on in the story. I recommend this book for teens ages 12-15. Skull Creek Stakeout is perfect for anyone looking for a fast paced murder mystery.
        Other books by Eddie Jones:
        Dead Man's Hand (The Caden Chronicles, #1)


July 26, 2013

Review: The Program by Suzanne Young


Title: The Program (The Program, #1)
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher:
 Simon Pulse
Publication date: April 30th, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Dystopia)
Source: Publisher 
Format: ARC
Pages: 408
In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.
Looking at this gorgeous cover, who wouldn't want to pick up The Program? After reading the synopsis, I just had to get my hands on it!! Simon and Schuster CA were kind enough to send a copy, so thank you again! Here, people aren't allowed to show any "sad" emotions whatsoever. If anyone shows sadness or slight depression, they are immediately "flagged" and put in a six week program called "The Program". In there, they are drowned with pills until they completely forget the sad memories and are completely brainwashed. Sound horrifying right? Exactly why Sloane and James know better than to express any emotions in public. Sloane and James and in love, and they are only able to express their true feelings in front of each other. When a tragic event happens with their best friend, James can't take it anymore. Sloane starts worrying for him, and tries to encourage him to look happy, but it just doesn't work. James gets flagged. Before anyone says I'm spoiling anything, it's pretty obvious from the cover that BOTH of them are going to get into The Program, so don't worry. 
Let me tell you, Sloane and James were amazing characters. They weren't like any cliche young couple, but their love really stood out for me, and felt real. I immediately loved both characters. Something about Suzanne Young's writing just makes you want to never stop reading, and that's exactly what happened to me. The plot never gets boring, and every chapter is literally full of pleasant surprises. I honestly don't know how to say anything without ruining the book for you guys, but some very unexpected things happen. What I loved most was that the characters felt whole. Suzanne Young was able to portray the character as a whole, and was able to show us all sides of her characters. It was interesting to see Sloane in her highest and lowest moments, and that just made me connect to her more. Every dystopian book needs great world building, and I'm glad to say that The Program did not disappoint! It totally felt like I was living in this suppressive society where I basically couldn't breathe. There were some points where I really felt chocked up and sometimes depressed. Bravo for Ms.Young for that.
Am I excited to get my hands in the next book? YES! Like all dystopian books, this definitely ends in sort of a resistance group forming or etc, and I AM EXCITED! I just can't say how much I loved this book, because it was great. If any book stirs up so much emotion from me, it will immediately be in my favorites list. Fans of dystopians will enjoy this one very much. 

July 24, 2013

Blog Tour: Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike

 


Title: Earthbound (Earthbound, #1)
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 352

Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she’s never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there’s much about her past that she isn’t being told.

Tavia immediately searches for answers, desperate to determine why she feels so drawn to a boy she hardly knows. But when Tavia discovers that the aunt and uncle who took her in after her parents' death may have actually been responsible for the plane crash that killed them--and that she may have been the true intended victim--she flees for the safety of Camden, Maine, where the boy she sees in her visions instructs her to go.

Now, Tavia is on the run with no one to trust. No one, that is, except for her best friend and longtime crush, Benson.

Tavia feels torn between the boy who mysteriously comes to her at night and the boy who has been by her side every step of the way. But what Tavia doesn't know is that the world is literally falling apart and that to save it she will have to unite with the boy in her visions. Only problem? To do so would mean rejecting Benson's love. And that's the one thing Tavia Michaels swore she'd never do.

 

Having loved Aprilynne Pike's Life After Theft, I was definitely excited to be picking this one up. I have to admit, the synopsis didn't sound that intriguing to me, but I still thought it was interesting. The main protagonist, Tavia, was the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed her parents. Sent to live with her distant aunt and uncle, Tavia starts experiencing weird things in the town. Tavia starts envisioning a boy that no one can see, and not only was he imagined, but he also looked like he just got pulled from the 1800's or something. Then we have Benson, who is Tavia's best friend and long time crush. I think Benson played a huge part of why I still continued reading this book, because I absolutely loved him! Yea, yea, everyone's probably fed up of best friend romances, but I'm still a sucker for those.
 As a character, I wasn't able to connect to Tavia at all. She just felt  blank for me. Thinking about it now, I don't think she was memorable at all. I think Benson felt like a better written character than she was. Tavia just felt like she was 2D. The twists and the mysteries in this book were what made me want to continue reading as well. I have to admit, the plot felt a bit lacking, and it was kind of boring at some point, but I still continued. There was a lot of shocking scenes and the book, but there were also some parts that made no sense for me whatsoever.
 Overall, Earthbound was an okay read for me. It was honestly a shame because I had such high hopes for it after reading Life After Theft. The ending was interesting, but I don't think I'll be picking out the second book when it comes out. I guess it was just one of those books that don't click with me. Of course, me disliking it doesn't mean that whoever is reading this is going to dislike it to. Give it a chance, and I hope you will enjoy it more than I did!

July 20, 2013

Mini Reviews: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols & Dare You To by Katie McGarry




Dirty Little Secret

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols
MTV Books
July 16, 2013
2.5/5 stars

Jennifer Echols has been one of my favorite contemporary YA writers, from her fluffy books such as The Boys Next Door, angst filled books such as Going Too Far, to one of my all time favorite books Such A Rush. Unfortunately, the last two books Echols released were below my expectations, one way below (Levitating Las Vegas) and another that wasn't as bad, but still a disappointment, especially coming from an author I admire so much. I mainly found issues with the characters.. and then the abrupt and sudden wrap up of the novel. The main protagonist, Bailey, used to duet with her younger sister at any country music festival they could get into, however only her younger sister gets picked up by a record label and one of the conditions is that Bailey stops her music and lies low in order not to ruin her sister's image. Her parents' agreement to such a condition was what first brought up the red flags for me. Yes, we have a ton of horrible parents in YA books, but my main problem was the resigned acceptance of Bailey to these terms. Yes, she thought it was unfair, but she didn't mirror the rage and anger I would be feeling in her situation. To put it bluntly, I wasn't able to connect with her, not one bit. I thought the book would redeem itself by the love interest, but my God... Sam is the jerk I would read about that the main protagonist would be dating initially in a YA book until she realizes how stupid she was to date such a loser. Sam was... SELFISH. All he cared about was furthering his own career. Initially I thought it was a misunderstanding and the author would set things straight, but no... that is exactly who Sam is. I just didn't like both characters separately and hated them together. The plot was lukewarm at best but I did enjoy all the music talk and the secondary characters, Sam's friends as well as... ok no, just Sam's two friends. In all honesty, this is a forgettable book.

Other books by Jennifer Echols:





Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Harlequin Teen
May 28th, 2013
5/5 stars

Dare You To is the companion novel of Pushing The Limits. If you have read Pushing The Limits, you would probably be familiar by Beth. Beth, the 'stoner' girl is the main protagonist in this book. As for me, I really enjoyed reading about Beth in PTL, and I was excited to find out more about her story. Told from alternating POV's, Dare You To was a fantastic contemporary book! Did I say alternating POV's? Yes! The other POV is from Ryan's POV. We are introduced to Ryan the 'jock' at the beginning of the story. Despite the huge differences between the two, one being poor and one being rich, one having a perfect life while the other leading a miserable one, their paths still crossed. As characters, I LOVED these two. I actually love them more than Noah and Echo from Pushing The Limits. Something about this book just made me enjoy every single but of it. Maybe because of how different those two characters were, and how interesting it was seeing them being put together? I don't know, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I really enjoyed Beth too, though I have to admit, she really annoyed me at some points. She would always feel like someone would 'betray' her and run away. I mean, WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY? Just face your fears. I know, her past was horrible and full of those backstabbing her, but still. Ryan was her rock, and I loved him. I can't say how much Ryan made me feel giddy and happy when reading about him. If there was another book for him, I would be the first in line to get my hands on it! Similar to Pushing The Limits, Dare You To wasn't just fluffy cutesy romance, but talked about more than that. There were a lot of difficult topics like drugs, family, trust, and so on. Again, Katie McGarry did not fail to write a gripping novel that made me on edge. I definitely cannot wait to get my hands on the third companion novel, Crash Into You. 


Other books by Katie McGarry:
Pushing The Limits




July 17, 2013

Review: Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

Weather Witch
Title: Weather Witch (Weather Witch, #1)
Author: Shannon Delany
Publisher:
 St. Martin's Griffin
Publication date: June 25, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Paranormal)
Source: Publisher 
Format: Finished Copy
Pages: 336
In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!

Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!

But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.
Weather Witch started off with a creepy and intriguing opening. Witchcraft is openly acknowledged in this world. Ever since the big world and the emergence of the New World as well as its rules and laws, witches, specifically Weather Witches, when found, become the property of the 'government'. They are what power all the lights and energy consuming machinery in the New World, from airships, lanterns, to simple automatons. I found the idea very exciting, especially since you all know how much I love books that incorporate magic and witchcraft in them. Also, this book is set in the 1800s so it contains Steampunk elements. However Weather Witch, while strong in the beginning, lost its momentum and my interest as the story progressed. 
To be 100% honest, I lost interest in the story of the main lead, Jordan. The synopsis, in my opinion, gave too much away. 3/4 into the book and nothing new happened other than what was told in the synopsis, that Jordan was accused of being a Weather Witch and is not transported to the holding Tanks of where they are all taken to 'Make' and then used as a power source. I kept expecting for more, but I got nothing. The good news is that this book is told from multiple POVs.. kind of like watching a tv show episode where you get glimpses of many of the character's POVs. The ones I mostly enjoyed were Rowen's, who was the gentleman courting Jordana, as well as the Maker himself. I know the Maker is viewed as the antagonist, but with the emergence of his four year old daughter, as well as his love for one of the maids, I couldn't help thinking that he is a product of his upbringing, being that his father used to be the Maker. 
I personally felt this book progressed at a snail's pace; I know it is part of a series and I wonder if the author dragged it on to make it an introductory novel. I wished I was able to connect more with the characters, while I did feel a certain connection with the Maker's story, I thought many of the actions of Rowen were a bit ridiculous if not borderline stupid, but he was still enjoyable. As for Jordan, I wished she woke up from her denial earlier and tried to do something, but she was pretty passive throughout most of the novel, only towards the end did she think to try and save herself. All in all, this novel was entertaining but had many flaws that I couldn't get past and give a rating higher than a three. Paranormal fans, as well as historical fiction fans might enjoy Weather Witch.