Sequel Cover Reveals!

There have been some ahmazing cover reveals lately! If I have a bad day all I need to do is look at cover reveals and I cheer right up. :D Also with the cover reveals come release dates!

Januaray 22, 2013!!

(I just thought this deserved big font because I AM SO EXCITED for this book)

I. Adore. This. Cover. It's my favorite in the trilogy for sure! The hue and the font and the DRESS, it's all gorgeous! My favs in order for this series' covers would be Boundless, Unearthly, and then Hallowed.

February 5, 2013

 Not that I don't like this cover... I do... but it doesn't match the first one! The hardcover! It's also too similar to the paperback. It seems the same to me but with white eyelashes.Anywho, I'm sharing it with you all because it's the sequel to one of the most amazing books ever, Shatter Me, and I am soo excited to read this, matching cover or not.

Well those are all for now... I hope more are coming soon! (Through the Ever Night & Dark Triumph the most, though haha) Thanks for stopping by, you're awesome ;)



Review: Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross (April 2012)

(clicking the cover takes you to its Goodreads page)

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.

My Thoughts:

I wanted this book immediately after reading the summary. It looks fantastic, right? I had really high hopes for it. It was a surprising book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were plot twists and turns, and they mostly changed for the morbid. But it madet the story one of the most unique that I've read in a very long time. Though I did find some issues with it...

The Characters:

Mira, Mira, Mira... Mira is the female lead in the story, and I liked her character at first. She seemed strong and brave, running away from home and standing up for herself and everything. And then--within, what 2 days of meeting him-- she "falls in love" with Felix. I found absolutely nothing special about Felix. He was such a boring character! He was hardly around, but oh, he's nice to Mira! So of course suddenly she's in love with him. And basically all she knows about him is that he runs a hotel. I found it stupid. No one can legit fall in love with someone that way. I've never come across such insta-love in a book before, and it made no sense. At all. Two days! And probably a total of six hours! That's not love, it's called a crush!

But Blue! I liked Blue. Probably because he had personality. He was funny and cocky and he had blue hair. He had the best lines and was in the best scenes. But more than Blue I adored Freddie's character. I wish that the author had told the ending to his story, but I hope he got a happily-ever-after. He seemed like such a sweet guy, and I wish everyone had been nicer to him.

The Plot:

It's such an original plot. Fairy-tales come to life. Yes, some were twisted, but it kept me interested enough to keep picking up the book. I'd kind of predicted the end-- and to keep this non-spoilery, I'll just say the part with the room-- but it was still horrorful (is horrorful a word? :P), though it kept the story climactic and made things urgent and captivating. I was curious to find out how Mira's own curse would work out. But mostly I wanted to know what happened to the others-- Viv and Henly and Caspian and Layla... Sigh, but alas, we never know. (Unless there's a sequel? Hint hint, Sarah Cross :D.)

However, it's one of those books where you have to discover things along with the character. So, that means that if it takes two hundred pages for her to connect the pieces to the puzzle... that's how long it takes you, too. And call me crazy, but plots like this drive me insane. I hate when everything is cryptic. Okay, yes, it can make you think and work things out for yourself, but I hate reading dialogue when I have no clue what the characters are talking about. This book didn't have it too bad, but it left me clueless to some answers I wanted that I had to wait until the end for.

SPOILER. And one other thing. We never do find out about Mira's parents. I mean, we discover they're alive and all that, and that she has their number to call them... but she never does. We never discover how it works out. Did they move into Beau Rivage with Mira? Or did she wait until she turned seventeen--when her parents planned to appear--to meet them? Did she call them and they came to move back to Beau Rivage, or did she remain with her godmothers? It's never told, and I suppose it doesn't really matter, but it was a loose end, nevertheless. SPOILER OVER.

The Writing:

This book had great writing-- not bleak, not boring, but descriptive, and sometimes mysterious. This book had some of the most hilarious dialogue and I loved reading the fights between Mira and Blue. And I liked the ending. Despite no closure of the secondary character's futures, it didn't dissapoint.

Overall:

You should pick it up! The three stars is more for the plot and the unrealistic love (sorry, but it irked me! I think it could've been made more believeable). It was fast pasted, a quick read, wholly unique and original, and it should keep your attention.

3/5

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton (January 2012)

(clicking the cover takes you to its Goodreads page)

Goodreads Summary:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

My Thoughts:

I've heard tons of good about this book, so I was excited to read it, espeically because it's in the mythology genre and I've enjoyed the other mythology books I've read in the past. This one was okay... but there were a few things missing for me.

The characters:

I had no issues with any of the characters. None of them were annoying, but they weren't exactly unique either. Though they did all sort of lack personality. Jack was... well, he was the typical hot-quarterback-falling-head-over-heals-for-the-awkward-girl love interest. Cole was much more enjoyable, and I was totally rooting for him too, but no spoilers here (Team Cole! :P). Nikki was just another selfless heroine to me. I just didn't find it realistic how she'd choose suffering in hell over ruling it. Who is that selfless? Which leads me to my issues with the plot.

The plot:

Okay, well, here's the main thing I'm wondering about: if Nikki's only problem is not being around the people she loves... why not just become an Everliving? Because as far as I could tell, Everlivings can live on earth (take Cole, Maxwell, and the rest of his band for example). So then why not become an Everliving, not say goodbye, and not have eternal torture while living on earth as an Everliving? Sure, she'd outlive those people, but she thought just months was enough to say goodbye, so why not add a couple more decades onto that? It was never really clarified. I think it's a loophole in the plot, or I could just be missing something. I understand that she doesn't want to drain people of their emotions, but you don't have to kill the person, right? I'm confused...

And then a minor thing I was wondering about. Why do people just assume Nikki has memory loss when she shows up? Jack keeps asking her if she remembers him, but when did she ever indicate that she didn't? She disappeared and came back, why does that give him and everyone else the idea that she doesn't remember anything? It had me a bit confused. It's not as if they knew she went to the Underworld for a century.

But apart from that, the plot was engaging enough. The end wasn't too much of a shocker, though it had a good build-up. I'll definently be reading the next one to see how it all works out. I'm a sucker for cliffhangers. (Or half-cliffhangers, I guess.)

Overall:

If you like mythology, you should check this one out! I know most people loved it, and I thought it was alright. Who knows, this book may be just your cup of tea.

3/5

Summer/Fall Cover Love, Part 1

This summer and fall there are a ton of books coming out that I'm excited for with lovely covers! I don't know about everyone else, but for me, books with gorgeous covers generally get priority over books that don't. So here are some sequels that I'm anticipating to books I've enjoyed (they also serve as some loverly eye candy). :D You can click each cover to take you to its Goodreads page.

I adored Juliet Immortal, so I can not wait for it's sequel (which I was hoping for before I even knew about it). It should be a lovely match to the first one!

This book is like legit one of my top five anticipated books of the year. I love the cover re-design of the first one, to match this cover for the second book. There is something about this cover that I love. Maybe because there is a lack of yellow covers out there. And that it's in the desert. And that it's of Jack! :D

It's very military-like, which I love! I bet it looks gorgeous next to the first book (Legend). Whereas I wasn't a huge fan of the first book, I will be reading this sequel. And doing a bit of staring at this cover, also!

So those are some of my favorite covers for upcoming books! I hope you like my picks and also check out the these series', because they are amazing reads! I think pretty covers just make the whole world a better place, don't you? ;)



Destroy Me, the e-novella!

I don't know if all other fans have heard of this already, or why it's taken me so long to find it out, but there is going to be a Shatter Me e-novella! It's called... get ready... Destroy Me! Shatter Me is my absolute favorite book, I just adore it, and I love Warner too, which is good, because it's entirely in his perspective! Tahereh Mafi tells us that it is more like an actual book (around 150 pages or so), way more than the standard 50 pages for e-novellas (but who's complaining?!).

This e-novella is being released on October 16, 2012 (fall? I have to wait that long?!), and there is no cover yet, but right now I'm able to hold myself over just reading that summary. It sounds so good! I don't generally get super-excited for e-novellas (they're always over too soon), but I can not wait to read this one (obviously)! You can get more info on the novella from Tahereh's website or go to its Goodreads page.

Review: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer (April 2012)

Goodreads Summary:

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming . . .

My Thoughts:

This one wasn't even on my radar until a couple weeks ago when it showed up at my ebook library. But when I saw it was available, I snatched it right up. And I am so glad I did! There were so many things to this book that I loved. It'll be in the running for my favorite book of the year, for sure.

The characters:

I thought the characters were fantastic. I loved them all (with the exception of Drew, Seth, and Tyler of course, the mandatory "bad guys"). I especially loved the twins. I hope this twin fad that I'm seeing keeps up, because I love it! (The most recent other twin books I've read are Obsidian and Anew, both fantastic books.) I just adore the whole "Elemental" thing, have always wanted a good YA book about it, and here it was, everything I could hope for in a book.

But back to the characters. Chris was a sweet character that I totally would have fallen for before I'd fall for Hunter, not that he wasn't a cool character, too (though I did love his stones!). But the whole book I was just wishing that Becca would give Chris a chance. I can not wait for the next book, to see how it all works out (if we see how it works out, since it's in Gabriel's perspec). Love triangles! Love em or hate em, I guess. And generally I don't really enjoy the whole two-perspectives thing, and there wasn't much of it in here anyway, but I did like hearing Chris's take on things.

Becca was a strong female heroine. I thought she was one of the more realistic heronines that I've read of in a long time. I mean, it's nice reading books where the girl is suddenly thrown into chaos and becomes this strong-willed, conquering gal and all, but that's not realistic. I think in real life, people would react to this news (people controling the elements) like Becca did, tentatively and with a bit of fear, being involved but not running off into danger.

The Plot:

It had a good plot. It kept me going and thinking. Who saw that curveball at the end? Anyone? I sure didn't! I love a book with a twist, and that was a pretty good twist. I won't spoil it for anyone, but if you've read it, than you'll probably know what I'm talking about. Its got me so excited to read the next one! The book had a good solid pace and events that pulled you in. I, for one, wanted to devour this book in one sitting and then pick up the next one right away (which I can't do, because I have to wait half a year... *sad face*).

The Writing:
I thought the writing was fantastic. It was witty and quick and had a certain element (see what I did there? ;) to it that made the book just shine. I thought it was perfect.

Overall:

To make this quicker, just read this book! It was so, so good! I'm going to have to go out and buy my own copy, and then read and re-read it until the next one comes out (IN GABRIEL'S PERSPECTIVE! YAY!). If this book hasn't made your TBR list yet, then that should be the next thing you do. Like, right now. Please. You can't regret reading this book!

5/5

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Hello all! If you're here, at my blog, than thanks for stopping by! This blog is for all things mainstream YA fiction and my ramblings and thoughts on them. This is something I am doing for fun. I designed it one day when I got bored, and now I've decided that I might as well use it! How many followers I get is not the point; the point is that this is just a place for me to write about books, and probably not very often at that. But if you want to follow anyway that'd be really lovely. :D

I understand my blog design is, well, not the best. It's the first one I've ever designed, though, so give me some credit there! As I said, this is just for fun. Maybe if I like it and enjoy it enough I'll make it a legit thing and all. Someday I hope to have a good book blog, and host giveaways and all that, but that might not necessarily be this blog.

So, on to the boring author stuffs! I am a 16 year old girl from America, and reading is my favorite thing to do. I hate stereotypes, running, thinking about college, and screamo music. I love iced tea, giveaways, chick-flicks, and history. I love buying books and adding them to my shelf, but rarely do I have enough money for large book hauls. And that is enough about me :D

I follow VERY MANY book blogs, so I know it takes determination to keep up with them. And it's even harder to maintain a book blog and be posting lots of reviews (this blog will probably not have lots of reviews, since I don't like doing those as much). I respect all those bloggers out there who are able to keep up with it. All of us followees are grateful for it!

So now I shall add my blog to the masses! Thank ya for stopping by! ;)

COVER REVEAL: THE LOST PRINCE!

If you know anything about my favorite books, The Iron Fey is right on the top, if not the first. It's in the top three (with River of Time and Shatter Me, but that's besides the point right now). So imagine my excitement today when I got my first look at the cover for the 1st book in the spinoff series-- in Ethan's, Meghan's little brother, point of view-- and IT. LOOKS. GREAT. It's gotten me even more excited!!

Time out for staring.

Well, our little Ethan has certainly, uh, changed, hasn't he? But it's a very agreeable change. :D

The date as of now is OCTOBER 23, 2012. I wonder if Meghan or Puck will make any appearances? And, fine, even Ash would be nice to see again (I'm Team Puck, so boo Ash!). I can seriously not wait to read this book, especially after I re-read The Iron Queen (which I just ordered my own copy of :). This is for sure my most anticipated book for fall!!

And, more TIF news!! I just heard about this a few minutes ago and I didn't even know it was happening! Apparently, an "Iron Fey anthology" is being created, which will contain the e-novellas Summer's Crossing and Winter's Passage, along with an additional new one, Iron's Prophecy. SO EXCITED! And it'll be called The Iron Legends. This cover will look so pretty next to all the others!

Read more about it on Julie Kagawa's blog: http://juliekagawa.blogspot.com/

Most Anticipated, April-June 2012

These are my most anticipated books from April through June! Most of these are sequels, but there a couple of stand-alone novels. Anyway, there's more that I'm excited for, but these are the most anticipated. There are some pretty lovely covers for all these, aren't there? I love it.

April:


April 17 (The Body Finder, #3)






April 24 (Blood of Eden, #1)







April 24



May: 



May 1 (Divergent, #2)





May 1 (Wings, #4)





May 8 (Revenants, #2)





May 29 (Starcrossed, #2)



 June: 



June 12 (Hourglass, #2)






June 14




June 26 (Soul Screamers, #6)


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June 29 (Mer Tales, #2)



Yay! SO excited! My top three of all these would have to be:

Insurgent (of course! Been waiting for this for almost a year)

Dreamless (it's nearly been a year and I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS between Helen and Lucas, ASAP!)

Before I Wake  (who else is dying after that cliffhanger?! Or, more likely, who ISN'T?)

I'll probably find more to wait for before the next list, but who cares? As long as the wait isn't too long, then I'm cool with waiting. It just makes the heart grow fonder :P

Adios!