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September 27, 2014

Review: Unmarked by Kami Garcia - A thrilling sequel

Unmarked (The Legion, #2)
Title: Unmarked (Legion, #2)
Author: Kami Garcia
Publisher:
 HBG Canada
Publication date: September 30, 2014

Genre(s): Young Adult (Supernatural/Fantasy)
Source: Publisher 
Format: ARC
Pages: 400
Review of the first book in the series: Unbreakable
He is here . . . and he could be anyone .

Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us-a demon she accidentally set free.

Now Kennedy and the other Legion members-Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared-have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked?
non spoiler review for unbreakable! 
Unmarked is the sequel to Unbreakable. I waited a whole year for this sequel so my expectations were a bit high. I loved Unbreakable so much, you can read my review here. It took me by surprise because I am not the biggest fan of paranormal books but I was instantly sold and fell in love. So I was a bit scared of Unmarked not being on the same level as Unbreakable. However, Unmarked was even better. It was so good, I couldn't put it down. This is fast becoming one of my favorite paranormal series for sure.  
In Unmarked, the gang is all there, Kennedy, Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared. However we have a new addition, Kennedy's best friend Elle. I love this group's dynamic. Lukas and Jared are twins, Priest is a genius engineer and the youngest, Alara is kick butt, provides the funds, and always appears tough on the exterior, and lastly is Kennedy, our main protagonist who I've grown to like even more in this book. Of course there's Elle and she's Kennedy's cheerleader but also the devil's advocate. In Unmarked, they're dealing with the consequences of what happened in Unbreakable (being vague so not to spoil anyone). There are so many gasp worthy reveals in Unmarked, my head was in a spin. 
I love everything about Unmarked, from how gripping the plot is, to how logical and understandable every action by this group is made. I loved how they always stuck by each other, and I especially love their friendship. Good characters, plot, and flow are so important in books. Unmarked had all. These characters really hold a close place in my heart and I love them so much. Kami Garcia's writing is a perfect example of an enjoyable prose. The third book is definitely going on my most anticipated sequels of 2015. 



September 23, 2014

Review: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld - interesting concept

Afterworlds

Title: Afterworlds 
Author: Scott Westerfeld 
Publisher:
 Simon & Schuster Canada
Publication date: September 23, 2014

Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary/Paranormal)
Source: Publisher 
Format: ARC
Pages: 608
Darcy Patel has put college and everything else on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. Arriving in New York with no apartment or friends she wonders whether she's made the right decision until she falls in with a crowd of other seasoned and fledgling writers who take her under their wings…

Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack. But the Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead and as Lizzie drifts between our world and that of the Afterworld, she discovers that many unsolved - and terrifying - stories need to be reconciled. And when a new threat resurfaces, Lizzie learns her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she loves and cares about most.
I was initially very intrigued by Westerfeld's book. There was so much hype around it and i have to admit I, in turn, started lusting after it. When I got an ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada, I was over the moon. It is intimidating, at 600 pages, but I started it. I loved the concept of the main protagonist being a soon to be debut author publishing a novel that we also get to read. The first chapter opens with the main protagonist, Darcy, dissecting the query letter she wrote and sent that got her the two book deal. The second chapter though, that chapter is one of the best beginnings in a novel I've ever read. It is technically the first chapter in Darcy's novel. It hooked me. I was addicted and I wanted more. 
I had so much expectations for Darcy's novel but I have to admit, it went downhill from the first chapter. I am not a huge fan of paranormal novels, so it takes a lot for me to praise one. Unfortunately, Lizzie's story (Darcy's protagonist), did not impress. It was a very cliche paranormal novel and by halfway I was just not interested and only read to go back to Darcy's world (it is told in alternating chapters). Darcy, however, was very interesting. Being a blogger and more involved in the whole publishing process, it was so exciting seeing Darcy going through it. I am not an aspiring writer but I feel people who are would get sucked into Darcy's world even more than I did. 
I have to admit though that Darcy as a character frustrated me. Her sister, Nisha, calculated a budget for her to stay within based on the advance she received from the publishing company, however from the get go, as soon as Darcy moved to New York, she completely ignored the budget. I was wincing every time she overspent, bought a plane ticket, or forgot something important. Girl don't be so careless and irresponsible! I am more of a Nisha so that's why that really frustrated me. 
One thing I wished for is if Westerfeld made Darcy write a mystery thriller instead of a paranormal one. There is a bit of a mystery in the paranormal and I can honestly say that was the only thing that kept me going. A thriller would have suited that book SO WELL. I even mentioned it to the person I was buddy reading Afterworlds with and she completely agreed. It would have definitely alleviated the book in my eyes. Afterworlds wasn't bad, it had its good and bad moments. I feel the infusion of the publishing process will definitely capture the eyes of many readers. 



September 21, 2014

Cover Reveal: ReBorn by Ada Adam


I have been a fan of Ada Adam's Angel Creek trilogy, and the FINAL BOOK IS ALMOST HERE! ReBorn is the third and final book in this trilogy, and here is the cover reveal: 



A self-proclaimed book and TV junkie, Ada Adams spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds. Much like the kick-butt female characters she enjoys writing about, she is a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of lifelong learning and has attained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology as well as a Masters of Science in Education.  


 Don't these three look SO GOOD together? I absolutely loved the first two, and I cannot wait to get my hands on ReBorn!! 

My review of ReVamped
My Review of ReAwakened

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What do you guys think?




September 18, 2014

Review: Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

Falling into Place

Title: Falling into Place
Author: Amy Zhang 
Publisher:
 HarperCollins Canada
Publication date: September 9, 2014
 
Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 416
On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.
Falling into Place is heartbreakingly real and beautiful at the same time. There is a mystery theme going through the book that keeps you guessing two things, 1) will Liz really die? 2) Who is the unknown narrator? Also, the nonlinear timeline works so well and Zhang does it in a way that keeps you wanting to flip the pages as quick as possible. I can't say I related to the main protagonist, Liz, but it doesn't mean her story isn't important to me. It doesn't mean I wasn't emotionally crippled after finishing the book. It doesn't mean that this book didn't impact my reality. Because it did, it seriously did.
The chapters jump between three different time lines: 1) weeks before Liz's suicide, 2) minutes before Liz's suicide, 3) After Liz's suicide. This type of storytelling was very powerful for this novel. Liz's world unravels to us in increments, little snippets here and there. Liz isn't a nice person, quite frankly, she's a bully. Her realization in the book is immediate, that is what actually propels her to commit suicide, sort of as a repenting to all the bad she's unleashed to the world. I can't say she's just the typical teenagers with a mean streak.. she really was a bully. I was horrified at some of the things her friends, and herself, did. However, Liz's inner struggle through all this was just as painful. There is an emotional rawness that Zhang delivers so well. My heart would literally ache reading this book. Liz's loneliness, her resolve to kill herself, and then her awful past of bullying. It was sometimes suffocating reading about it all.  People are so complicated, and you sometimes don't understand how they can be so spiteful, deliberately hurtful, and downright mean. Is it because they are inherently cruel? or is it their own inner struggles? the environment they grew up in? It is just scary. 
Liz's friends also have their own secrets and some are just achingly sad. I wanted to shake them and tell them to get help or snap out of it. To wake up and look at themselves. To stop caring what people think of them and to strip away their popular masks. They are as screwed up, if not more, than everyone around them. I cried so much in the last 30 pages of the book. I was actually in a public bus and had to hide my face while I bawled my eyes out (This is not related to the ending, which I will give no hint on). Falling into Place tackled so many issues teenagers go through. This is a bittersweet book, definitely falling into the realistic fiction setting. Many people couldn't relate to the main protagonist but that's fine. You can't relate to every person you meet, and like I said, it doesn't mean their story isn't important to tell. 

September 15, 2014

Blog Tour: The Death of Us by Alice Kuipers + Author Interview




Title: The Death of Us
Author: Alice Kuipers
Publisher:
 HarperTrophy
Publication date: September 2, 2014
 
Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 240
A recovered friendship, a dark secret, and a love triangle with a deadly angle…

Callie is shocked when her friend Ivy reappears after an unexplained three-year absence, but the girls pick up where they left off, and suddenly Callie’s summer is full of parties, boys and fun. Beneath the surface, things aren't what they seem, however, and when a handsome boy with a dark past gets tangled up with Ivy, the girls’ history threatens to destroy their future.

The Death of Us by Alice Kuipers was a book that was a surprise from HCC Frenzy. I really had no idea about what it really was about, but my ARC copy was bright yellow and I like yellow so I picked it up not really knowing what it’s about. The Death of Us revolves around three main characters who happen to be tangled into each other in ways that is not so easy to describe. The three main protagonists, Callie, Ivy, and Kurt each have diverse and unique personalities and characteristics. Despite the book being told from the three point of views, I personally felt like this book revolved more about Callie and Ivy. As I said before, each of them had distinct personalities, so I’ll speak a bit about that. I really didn’t know what to feel about Callie. I wasn’t really able to connect to her, and she kind of fell flat for me as a character. As for Ivy, I personally found her annoying most of the time. She was sort of the typical controlling “best friend” who is sometimes maybe mistaken as selfish. I just wasn't able to relate to her. 
The Death of Us was certainly a book that was full of unexpected events. I truly found it interesting how Kuipers was able to create such a dynamic relationship between the three characters, and the complexity of it was surely interesting to read about as well. Since it is a short book, I can’t quite give much about the big without spoiling a bit to the readers. The Death of Us was a book more of finding friendship and the relationships between character and such. Overall, it was a really fast and enjoyable read in which I think a lot of contemporary fans will surely enjoy reading.




Bestselling, award winning author Alice Kuipers moved to Saskatoon from the UK in 2003. Her first novel, Life on the Refrigerator Door, was published in 28 countries. She has published three further award-winning YA novels internationally, most recently The Death of Us. Her first picture book Violet and Victor Write The Best Ever Bookworm Book will be published this December.                                                                    
Find her here: www.alicekuipers.com
In less that 140 characters (a tweet), how would you describe The Death of Us? In the quiet town of Edenville find secrets, lies, love, heartbreak, danger and death
What initially inspired you to write The Death of Us? I was inspired to write about Callie, Kurt and Ivy by the opening scene in the book - the idea of someone waiting at a party and then realizing the people he's waiting for aren't going to arrive. It came to me clearly and appeared on the page and then I had to figure out what it meant and how to get there. I also had the images of Callie eating a peach over her kitchen sink, and Ivy unpacking her clothes and those images made me want to write. I think a lot of the writing I do comes from compelling images in my mind. Those images wake me up at night. They nag and snaggle at my brain until the story just has to be written.
The Death of Us is told from three different POV's, is there a reason for doing that? I wanted to story to be nuanced and layered because I didn’t want it to be easy to blame one person. That felt too simplistic and the only way to doubt the other characters was to have sections of the story told from different perspectives. We all have a dark side (at least, I do!) and I wanted there to be times in the narrative when readers wondered which character was heading into their dark side. Each character is the hero of their own story and that means they don’t all see the events of The Death of Us the same way. I think YA readers are sophisticated, smart readers and I knew the complexity of the storytelling would be worth it for this particular narrative.
You once mentioned that the Death of Us was difficult for you to write, may I ask why? Having the points of view of three characters, and the shift in time at the start (from the end back to the beginning), and the rapid timeline, and all of the various secrets and lies felt like a lot to handle on the page. I had to do tons of drafts to make sure the book really did what I wanted it to, but then there were times when I wasn’t sure anymore what I wanted the book to do. In those moments, I had to just go with it and write. I doubted myself and the narrative, but, in the end, it came together. I hope!