Daisy's Thoughts About Reading The Mortal Instruments After the Hype (and watching the TV show)

I have an amazing book club and the last weekend of August we had a sleepover (which was AWESOME obviously) and one of the things we did was watch a lot of bad tv. Which is always better with friends who give snarky commentary for obvious reasons. So we watched the first 5 episodes of Shadowhunters and because I was like what the heck is going on??? (because there was a significant lack of explaining things in a manner that wasn't making my head hurt) I decided it was time to finally read the first book in the series.

And I ended up liking it, but I remember when this series had just come out and the obsession was of somewhat Harry Potter proportions. But I'm kinda liking reading this when not everyone and their great aunt it talking about it, because now I can just make my way through it (probably slowly with spaces of time in between) without all of the opinions hitting me in the face and influencing the experience. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes LOVE all the excitement that surround the release of books, especially if it's for a series that I'm loving and am also not behind on. But it creates all these expectations and then when the book actually DOESN'T live up to all the buzz, it's a disappointment that I feel more than when I hadn't been hearing all of those things before starting it.

It's fun though to think back to what was all over the blogosphere back then and all the swooning over Jace and other boys and how everyone was basically pining for the next book. Starting a series when it's already finished is also a whole different feeling than when you know you're going to have to wait a year in between reading them, even when they end on a cliffhanger. ESPECIALLY if they end on a cliffhanger.

***SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK, CLICK TO READ***

I'm slightly underwhelmed at the twist at the end with the whole Jace is Clary's presumed dead brother and everything. I mean, I was kinda expecting it at some point before the whole reveal for some reason I'm not sure of and if this is a thing that will continue on in the other books without it being somehow disproved that the is in fact her brother, then this is gonna take on a level of creepiness that reminds me of Virginia Andrew's books (Flowers in the Attic anyone?) that I loved as a teen, but am now somewhat not so excited about seeing in a series.

So, am I the only one who hasn't read this yet or just the first book? What's holding you back or what is making you excited to finally start it? Are there any other books that you've read way after the initial release that had a LOT of hype?

Book Tour: The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury + Giveaway

Hi TB&TB readers! I thought I'd mix things up today and do a spotlight post for a good friend who is hosting a book tour for none other than Melinda Salisbury! You might've heard of her due to her first well received novel, The Sin Eater's Daughter. Today I am posting all the juicy details about the sequel, The Sleeping Prince, which was released just yesterday! Enjoy!

Melinda Salisbury lives by the sea, somewhere in the south of England. As a child she genuinely thought Ronald Dahl’s Matilda was her biography, in part helped by her grandfather often mistakenly calling her Matilda, and the local library having a pretty cavalier attitude to the books she borrowed. Sadly she never manifested telekinetic powers. She likes to travel, and have adventures. She also likes medieval castles, non-medieval aquariums, Richard III, and all things Scandinavian. The Sin Eater’s Daughter is her first novel, and will be published by Scholastic in 2015. She is represented by the amazing Claire Wilson at Rogers, Coleridge and White. She tweets. A lot.

You can find her at the links below!

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

Title: The Sleeping Prince

Author: Melinda Salisbury
Published Date: May 31, 2016
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Hardcover | Paperback | eBook
Find It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

Return to the darkly beautiful world of The Sin Eater's Daughter with a sequel that will leave you awed, terrified... and desperate for more.

Ever since her brother Lief disappeared, Errin's life has gone from bad to worse. Not only must she care for her sick mother, she has to scrape together rent money by selling illegal herbal cures. But none of that compares to the threat of the vengeful Sleeping Prince whom the Queen just awoke from his enchanted sleep.

When her village is evacuated as part of the war against the Sleeping Prince, Errin is left desperate and homeless. The only person she can turn to is the mysterious Silas, a young man who buys deadly poisons from Errin, but won't reveal why he needs them. Silas promises to help her, but when he vanishes, Errin must journey across a kingdom on the brink of war to seek another way to save her mother and herself. But what she finds shatters everything she believed about her world, and with the Sleeping Prince drawing nearer, Errin must make a heartbreaking choice that could affect the whole kingdom.

Interested yet? I know you are... which is why I'm happy to announce a giveaway! Please use the rafflecopter below to enter to win a finished copy of The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Tahleen reviews: "Winter" by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners, 2015 (print available from Feiwel & Friends)
Narrator: Rebecca Soler

Rating: 4.5 stars

**Possible spoilers for Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress!!**

At long last, we have the final installment in Marissa Meyer's excellent Lunar Chronicles quartet. This tome delves deeper into the story of Princess Winter, the stepdaughter of the terrifying Queen Levana of Luna. Winter refuses to use her Lunar gift, and as a result she struggles with Lunar Sickness, a mental illness that causes vivid hallucinations and confusion in those who suffer from it. Winter also has the misfortune of being extremely beautiful and very well loved by the people of Luna, earning her the jealousy and hatred of Levana. And so, this Snow White tale follows the bones of the original: the queen orders her beautiful stepdaughter killed, only to have the one ordered to do the killing unable to go through with it and create a ruse to save her.

Of course, Winter is also the conclusion to the other three stories that began in the previous entries in the series. Cinder is still at large, accompanied by Cress, Thorne, Kai, Iko, and Wolf. Scarlet is still imprisoned in the royal menagerie as Winter's pet. And Levana is after total control.

This was an intensely satisfying ending to what I think is a fantastic series. Meyer expertly retells the original folktales, cleverly bringing them into the sci-fi world she has created. All of the characters are extremely well rounded, including the villains, and the action and battles get super intense. I also loved how the relationships keep maturing and growing throughout. My favorite has to be Thorne and Cress, though Scarlet and Wolf are just lovely too. And I still love Iko.

The narration by Rebecca Soler is great. She has distinct voices for every character, and I could easily pick out who was talking. She has great pacing and an attractive voice. I went after the audio editions of each of the books in this series because I enjoyed listening to her interpretations so much. The only thing I thought was kind of weird was her decision to give Kinney, a guard on Luna, an Irish accent. Why? Aren't they all from Luna? Why would he have an accent from Ireland in that case? Minor quibble, especially since I can't complain really about listening to a well-done Irish accent, but it threw me off a bit.

I was very pleased with how things turned out in the end. I am very much looking forward to the collection of short stories that will be released in February, titled Stars Above.

Disclaimer: I got this CD audiobook from my local library.

Kimberly's Review of Deluge by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Book: Deluge (River of Time #5)

Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren

Why I read it: Because it's a brilliant series.

Rating 5+ Stars

It's always very difficult to write a review for the final book in a series. I want to share how much I loved it, and tell everyone about it, but I don't want to spoil anything! So I will do my best to tell you about my reading experience without spoiling anything from the earlier books.

Here is the description from the first book in the series...

Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.
Remaining means giving up all she’s known and loved … and leaving means forfeiting what she’s come to know—and love itself.

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. In Book One of the River of Time series, Gabi and Lia are stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, boring, and dusty archeological site … until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

And thus she comes to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Forelli, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

An exciting premise, right? Let me also mention the extensive research the author has done to ensure that historical details are accurate. Right down to clothing, the way the country would have looked at that time, how they moved and spoke.

Not only that, the characters are wonderful. They are interesting, have unique strengths, distinct personalities and feel like people you know “in real life”. They also have flaws. But their flaws are real, and make sense. Their flaw isn't that they are clumsy. They also acknowledge their flaws and work through them.

Also, the relationships? Friendship, romance, family? You know when you read a book and you'd like to just smack one of the characters because they won't COMMUNICATE? These characters do! It is SO refreshing!

The entire series is that good. Five books can sound like a lot, but it's actually perfect. Each book is perfectly paced. It never drags, never feels rushed.

This last book.... Oh boy. I did NOT want this series to end. I knew I would miss the characters. I laughed with them, and cried tears of joy and grief with them. I felt proud of the characters by the end. My only “complaint”? I wanted more. But I felt satisfied with the ending as well, I didn't feel like things were left sloppily unresolved. It's not the perfect ending with a nice shiny bow on top (which I will admit, I love those as well). But this ending felt like the RIGHT ending.

Okay, I'll stop babbling about this so that you can go right now and get it! Check your library, the local bookstore. If you're having trouble finding it locally, check a Christen bookstore, the author is Christen and her novels are often sold there. (The books are not really “religious books”)

Has anyone else read this series? OR. What was your favorite conclusion to a book series?

Daisy's Mini-Review of Hexed by Michelle Krys

Title/Author: Hexed (The Witch Hunter #1) by Michelle Krys
Publisher/Date published: Delacorte Press, June 10th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

So, to be honest, I kinda had to skim through the book again before writing this review, because it's been about 3 months since I read it and aside from knowing that I was kinda bored by it, I was drawing a bit of a blank. Which is not a good sign on itself.
Which is why this review will be short and maybe not really sweet, but oh well.

Basically, I really didn't connect to Indigo, she's shallow and kind of a pushover and just not my kind of girl at all. Also, she has this weird frenemy thing going on with her 'best friend' Bianca, who is most definitely not a nice girl. Indigo seemed more interested in climbing the social ladder and her date than anything and it was a bit annoying. And ugh, here boyfriend is a douche and the new love interest isn't much better, he's got this snobby doucheness going on that really rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, this is what he says to her:
“Just don’t do that anymore,” he says, gesturing to my tear-tracked face. “It’s terribly unattractive, and I do hate to be seen with unattractive girls. Bad for the reputation, you know?"

Just ugh.

It was pretty fast-paced and a lot seemed to happen, but for a book about witches, there's not a lot of witchcraft going on and I like my witchcraft in your face over the top there, but that's just a personal preference. The main problem I had with Hexed is that I wasn't invested in the story, I didn't really care about what happened to Indigo and the only character I liked was Paige, cause she seemed to be the only one who possessed a bit of common sense. I was hoping for it to get better, but I was just a bit bored and it didn't get past the 'meh' point for me.

My rating: 2 stars

Kimberly discovers Lola and the Boy Next Door

Book: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Series: YES!!!

Rating: 5 stars

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit--more sparkly, more fun, more wild--the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket--a gifted inventor--steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

A month ago I had NO idea that Lola was a sequel/companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss (which I adored). I started reading the book and nearly dropped it when Lola started talking about her coworker, Anna and her boyfriend… I LOVED that little glimpse that we get of what happens after Anna and the French Kiss ended.

As for Lola? She is adorable. I liked her from the start. Her style. Her sense of humor. Her FAMILY. (Her Dad’s are hilarious. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do”, “Honey, that saying doesn’t really work when you’re gay.”

All of the characters were, as to be expected of Stephanie Perkins, so fully developed and imagined that I connected with them. I loved them and hated a few of them. I was so invested in Lola’s relationship with her rocker boyfriend, half the time I was seeing him through her eyes, which made his character an interesting one for me. Cricket was also quite nice… ;) I first thought “what kind of dumb name is that??” It didn’t take me long to change my mind.

If you want a fun, contemporary read, with characters that you will love, with a romance that you will love, give this a read. Don’t forget to pick up Anna and the French Kiss first!

Have you read Lola? Or Anna? Tell me about it in the comments!

Julia Reviews The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Title/Author: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Publisher/Year Published: December 2008 by Walker
How I got this book: The Library
Why I read this book: This book was recommended to me by Hayley, Susan, Kritka and rrteenlibrarian on my reading slump post
Rating: 4 stars

Well guys, I did it! I finished a book from my View from Page Thirty series that was actually worth adding on to the review. A few weeks back I posted my initial reaction to The Knife of Never Letting Go. The general sentiment was that it was pretty darn good and I wanted to continue with it. Here was my overview reaction:

"I am really curious to see how the story unfolds and what the rules and limitations of this world are. It sounds like a different twist on the dystopian thing, rather than just the controlling government makes us do something strange that our main character is rebelling against. I want to know more and can't wait to continue on!"

Well it didn't completely fall into that general dystopian genre, but it didn't stay as unique as I wanted it to. A few chapters after my initial reaction, things started moving into normal dystopian YA territory. Our hero was becoming special, some of the things I really enjoyed fell apart when things were reveled, and I was not as entertained as I wanted to be. 

I had high hopes for this book, and I wasn't necessarily not entertained. It was a good book to read, just it feel into old tropes as the book went on that I thought it was breaking away from. It also ended on a cliff hanger which really bothered me. It's book one! Usually book two is the cliffhanger. I really like it when my books wrap up, even if only a little. Thinking more about the ending, I guess it could be considered wrapped up, but I know that it's not and it bothers me.

Surprisingly, the narration did not bother me like I thought it may. I didn't mind Todd's colloquial phrasing and spelling of certain things. His being 14 annoyed me a few times like when his pride got in the way of doing things that made the most freaking sense (like with the book). But whatever, he's 14 and it fits with his characterization. No points off. It just was a personal pet peeve.

I really liked the pace in the first 30 or so pages, and I am happy to say that this story did not drag. It clipped along pretty much the entire journey. The plot was always moving the characters forward and into new adventures on the way to their goal.

Overall, it wasn't bad but it wasn't as good as I was thinking it was going to be from my first 30 page visit. Am I glad I read it? Sure. Am I going to read on? Maybe? I haven't decided. It may be after a while but I haven't ruled out coming back to this series. Just not right now.

Thanks for the recommendation guys! I can't wait to take a look at another one off the slumplist! By the way, if anyone wanted to view the compiled slumplist, I put it into a google drive document here. It's all messy and just my compilation of the comments people left on the original post. But just in case you wanted to see it, there it is :)

Daisy Talks About Catching Fire

**WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES**

I went to see it on Monday and OMG, it was simply amazing! I love how they're translating the book to script and screenplay and it's just so good to see it done well! Because let's be honest, a lot of times it doesn't work that way.

Some of my reactions to the movie:

-I LOVE Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson! I was firmly Team Peeta from the books, and the movie only strengthens this for me. I was SO hesitant about the choices for the actors before the first movie, but man, they are mindblowingly good!
And seriously, that moment when Peeta is showing Katniss the locket and saying she needs to survive cause people need her back home and she goes 'I need you' and MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT! TEARS!

-I was pleasantly surprised by Jena Malone, loved her as Johanna! I did have a funny when I though about her playing Donald Sutherland's daughter in Pride and Prejudice and now he's sending things at her to kill her.

-The arena was just how I pictured it! It was so well done!

-CINNA! *CRIES*

-Those baboons are so gonna give me nightmares... *shudders*

-Sometimes things are actually worse when you know they're coming. Like those mutt baboons. And poor Mags... And Wiress... And Cinna...

-I love how the movies give us a little peek behind the scenes with President Snow and Plutarch Heavensbee and the whole controlling of the Games. It adds a little something extra.

So I'm guessing a lot of you have also already seen the movie, let's discuss! Did you like it or not? What are some things that stood out for you? Are you scared for the third movie? I'm really wondering how they'll translate the first half of Mockingjay into a movie!

Lori Reads--Hopping on the Divergent Train

You guys know me.  I don't read young adult lit.  I stick to the classics, which I love.  But sometimes I just want something different.  So I switch it up with some chick lit or something.  This time I switched it up with a young adult adventure--Veronica Roth's Divergent series.

I have to credit People.com with the decision to read this series.  Last week I saw an article about the first movie, which is coming out in March.  I probably wouldn't have looked at the article if the headline hadn't been "Watch Ashley Judd, Kate Winslet & Shailene Woodley in the Divergent Trailer."  I love Ashley Judd and Kate Winslet!  As I read the article, something just kind of caught my eye and I found myself looking at Goodreads to see which of my friends had read it.  Most of them had and they rated it quite highly.  I asked one of those friends about the series to see if she really liked the book.  Then I found myself at the Barnes and Noble website buying the first book and looking at it on my phone.  At $3.99, I figured that I really didn't have much to lose.

Good choice.

I spent Friday reading the first book.  I spent Saturday reading the second book.  Zach was very surprised and noted that this was the first time he saw my switch from Nook/iPad to phone while we were out.  I read while we were in the Chick-fil-a drive-thru.  I read while we waited in line at the video game store.  I even tried reading at the stoplights (Zach was driving), but they kept turning green too quickly for me to make much progress.

I'm not going to review the book in this post.  A few of the other TBTB-ers have already done so.  Much like Bridget's post, I'm going to talk about my reaction to the books...

I loved the plot of the series.  It was mostly adventure.  There were some things that I saw would happen from a mile away, but there were a couple of surprises.  It was quick and snappy and I blew right through the books, which I like.  I hate wasted space.  Most people have compared it to The Hunger Games, which I've never read, but I can see their point based on what I know about that series.  I want to also add that parts of it remind me of the Harry Potter series--being sorted, each group having a type, massive upheaval of the system, awkward teenage romances, etc.

Speaking of awkward teenage romances, Four was totally hot.  I liked how Tris kept thinking that she was all wrong--what girl hasn't been there?!  Confession, as I read the first two books, I kept expecting some fabulous sex scene...then it dawned on me that there probably wouldn't be a sex scene because this book is written for 14-17 year olds.  So I moved on.

Speaking of 14-17 year olds, there were very few times I wanted to smack the characters for acting like 14-17 year olds.  But there were a couple of times I wanted to just yell at Tris for being annoying.  This was a big plus for me.

Again, I liked the style.  There wasn't a whole lot of time wasted in creating this elaborate backstory.  Every detail mentioned in the book was there for a reason.  I hate it when I go into editing mode while I'm reading something because the author said a whole bunch of useless things.

Yes, the first two books went by like a blur.  Then I started the third book on Sunday.  I've read close to a third of it.  But I spent most of the day reading other things.  See, it really bothered me that the first two books were narrated by Tris, but the third book has both Tris and Four narrating.  Consistency!  I like consistency!  I totally want to finish the series--I mean, what IS out there? I have to know--but I am not sure how long it will take me to finish book three.

And, yes, I suppose that now I will have to finally get around to reading The Hunger Games.

Thoughts?

Daisy's Mini-Review of Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon

Title/Author: Doon (Doon #1) by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon
Publisher/Date published: Zondervan, August 20th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: DOON...

Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months.

But the Scottish countryside holds other plans.

Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt — and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation. Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for... or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.

Summary sound familiar? The premise of Doon is loosely based on the musical Brigadoon. And while I have never seen this before, I'm guessing some of the more thespian-oriented readers among us probably have. I'm not actually sure whether this would have been better or worse.

I'm a bit conflicted about Doon, because on one hand, I liked the premise and I found myself wanting to keep reading it, but on the other hand there were a couple of things that made me want to throw my e-reader across the room and roll my eyes and make lots of frustrating noises.

What I liked: I liked the storytelling, the overall plot is interesting and fairytale like and it worked.

What I didn't like: I was confused by one of the lovestories, because the prince was being a jerk and I just couldn't see it. Veronica's parental situation was crazy and for me unbelievable, it was a bit of a too conventient absent-parent thing. The constant fangirling of Veronica and Mackenna over each other was really annoying.

I'm not entirely sure this needed to be a series and I'm still debating if I want to read the next book or not. There were too many things that annoyed me and not enough great moments in between to compensate.

My rating: 2 stars

Tahleen reviews: "Skulduggery Pleasant" by Derek Landy

Title: Skulduggery Pleasant
Author: Derek Landy
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2007
Narrator: Rupert Degas

Rating: 4.5 stars

Stephanie Edgley is a normal, if a bit antisocial, 12-year-old. She has normal parents and lives in a normal house in Ireland. Her Uncle Gordon, however, was not so normal; an author of horror novels, he lives in a large, old house and tends to keep strange company. That is, until he dies.

To the surprise of everyone, Stephanie is named Gordon's sole heir to his estate and fortune. It is at this point that things start to get interesting. She meets one of Gordon's strange friends, a Mr. Skulduggery Pleasant, who, as it turns out, is a skeleton (long story)—and she announces that she is going to help him find her uncle's killer, since she's pretty sure he was murdered. What follows is a madcap adventure to, of course, save the world from evil forces.

This was an exceptionally entertaining and darkly funny middle-grade/teen novel. It's the first in a series, and I will most certainly be checking out the rest of the books. This is indeed a very dark book, full of death and tragedies, but Landy keeps it age-appropriate and keeps gore to a minimum, though some not-so-likable characters meet deliciously gruesome demises.

Landy has created a world where magical beings coexist with non-magical humans, with the latter more often than not being none the wiser. It's similar in that sense to Harry Potter, but there the similarities end. Magical folk live in a dangerous world, where a war between those who seek power and those protecting the general population has been waged for decades (probably longer, I can't remember exactly, but a really long time). At the time we join the characters in their story, both sides have agreed to a tenuous ceasefire, which of course blows up in everyone's faces, otherwise there would be no story.

As for characters, these are all brilliant. Skulduggery is stoic but with an incredibly wry humor, and Stephanie has some excellent zingers too, along with her determination, stubbornness, and incredible courage. They are, to put it simply, awesome. Oh, and they are both great fighters, which we get to see a lot of.

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Rupert Degas, and it was fantastic. Degas was excellent at distinguishing voices, and paced his narration perfectly. Plus he has an accent.

Long story short, if you like dark, humorous, action-packed fantasy, this is a great series to start.

Disclaimer: I borrowed this audiobook via OverDrive from my local library.

Paula Reviews Sylo by D.J. MacHale

Book: Sylo by D.J. MacHale

Publisher: Razorbill (expected release July 2013)

How I got it: Got an advanced copy at the BEA

Rating 3.5/4 Stars

Hello all! So this year I traveled up to New York for my very first BEA experience. Not to drown you all with too many details except to say that it was a lot of fun. I got to meet our darling leader of The Broke and The Bookish- and let me tell you Jamie is just as sweet in person as she is on the interwebs. I also got to see and meet some of my favorite authors! I tried to keep the fangirling to a minimum- but how are you supposed to tell someone that you grew up with their writing and adventured with their characters without being a little bit gushy. 

This brings me to SYLO- I had to be picky and choosy about books I brought home from the BEA because I limited myself to making it all fit in my carry-on bag. But as soon as I saw that MacHale would be attending- I knew that a prime spot in my suitcase would be dedicated to this book. 

The premise of Sylo is such: Tucker Pierce is an average high school kid who is floating along. He is on the football team but he hates playing. He gets average grades. He doesn't have any idea about what he wants to when he grows up. And as far as he's concerned - that's all fine with him. Unfortunately his peaceful uneventful island life is quickly changed. During the big game of the season the star player drops dead on the field. As the island mourns the player- the military arrives and quarantines the island because of a mysterious virus (the suspected reason of the player's death). Something doesn't sit well with Tucker and his friends and they are thrown into the middle of discovering what the virus is, what the SYLO unit of the military is, and what exactly is going on on Pemberwick Island...

Why I gave it 3.5/4- 

The Pace: I know first books of series tend to be full of exposition... but the SYLO did get a bit slow at points. But even with that being said- I still finished it in three days. And also characteristic of a first book in a series- I did not feel as though there was any sort of resolution. The main question of the book (who is SYLO/Why was Pemberwick locked down) wasn't answered until the last few pages. And now I have to wait a whole year to know just why these things are important.  

The Characters: I can tell that all of these characters have the potential to be really awesome. I am excited to see how the next two books have them grow. Also- without being a spoiler- Tucker was warned not to trust anyone. at all. So now I'm anxiously awaiting and guessing who might be a secret bad guy or girl. I think I have an idea... but again have to wait a whole year ahhh!

Overall it was a very entertaining book. I am excited for next year to get here and read on and find out what happens to Tucker and his friends. If you need a mystery/dystopian/new series to check out, I suggest you go track down a copy of SYLO when it is released. 

ALSO OH MY GOODNESS I GOT TO MEET D.J. MACHALE AND HE WAS REALLY NICE AND WE TALKED ABOUT PENDRAGON AND AND AND Thanks D.J for filling my childhood (and now adulthood) with lots of adventure! Hobey Ho!

Early Buzz about The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

So seriously you guys, after I was done squealing over getting my hands on the e-arc of The Bitter Kingdom, I just finished the book I was reading in no time and moved on to this one, because well, I LOVE this series and Rae Carson's writing and I couldn't wait till August to find out what happens to Elisa and Hector!!

I even conquered my fear of reading the last book in a series for this book. This is the level of love I have for this series!

Here are just some quick first reactions upon reading The Bitter Kingdom (a full review will be posted closer to the release date on my personal blog):

-OMG, I just love Elisa! She's such an awesome character and I'm still wowed by how much she's grown over the course of this series!

-HECTOR! *swoon* *sigh* *generally all the things*

-The Inviernos are seriously creepy!

-Loved the council of the three queens! I have so much love for Cosme and Alodia, they are awesome and YES to the women being in power!

I don't want to spoil anything but I do have to say that I am fully satisfied with this ending except for the fact that I'm infinitely sad the series has ended! (This is a plea to Rae Carson to write more books, pretty please?)

You can pre-order this book here and YES YOU WANT TO!

And if you have also had the honor of reading this book early, please let me know! I'm DYING to talk about this book because it brought ALL THE FEELINGS!

My rating: 5+ stars

Julia Reviews Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Title/Author: Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Publisher/Year Published: January 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books
How I got this book:The library
Why I read this book: The first book was good, and I wanted to see what would happen next.
Rating: 4 stars

Summary: 

Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.
In this second book in the Newsoul trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

Review:
I can't decide if I like this book more or less then the first, Incarnate (review). I think I like them the same amount, but for different reasons.

Incarnate had a sense of the new and interesting. What is this world? Why is Ana around? That sort of thing. A sense of discovery. 

Asunder is really a continuation of that except now it's moved away from discovery and more into trying to find her place. 

Ana and the world are recovering from the events of Templedark during the beginning of this novel. Sam and Ana set off to find some answers, but really come back with more questions. We meet some new characters and discover more about some we've already known. 

The story itself progresses and Ana learns more about Janan and the sylph as well as new souls. The ending was pretty jarring in all that we learn and all that it means for the habitats of the city.

Anyway, my biggest praise for this book is the realistic portrayal of Sam and Ana's relationship. I couldn't help but make comparisons to Twilight in my mind, because they both have a really old soul in a teenage body dating a teenager. Where Twilight just kind of glossed over the fact that Edward was really old, Meadows tackles the issue head on. It's actually quite a problem for the growth of their relationship, as I think it would be. I have to give praise for that. The other aspects of their relationship ring just as real. 

The story itself is pretty engaging. The world and it's rules are so different and yet the same. I am curious to see where this series leads!

Tahleen reviews: "Kiki Strike: The Darkness Dwellers" by Kirsten Miller

Title: Kiki Strike: The Darkness Dwellers
Author: Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

So I had never been exposed to the Kiki Strike books before agreeing to be a part of this blog tour, and I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read the whole series. I flew through them all, and I hope there will continue to be more books in the series down the road. I'm going to do my best to avoid spoilers for the first two books in the series, but I'm going to tell you to go out and read them right now. You really won't regret it.

In this third adventure starring Kiki Strike and the Irregulars, the band of girl geniuses venture beneath Paris, attempt to foil the usurpation of an Eastern European nation, and stay out of the clutches of a brainwashing etiquette maven. Plus they have to deal with boys and evil twins, both new experiences for our narrator, Ananka. Things get pretty busy, as you can imagine, and loyalties and strengths are all tested. Everyone is not as they seem—but this is not always a bad thing.

Miller has continued to bring surprise and humor to wonderfully creative capers. Kiki and the Irregulars, all of whom have their own specialties (chemistry, engineering, disguises, hacking, etc), continue to surprise me with their ingenuity and capability in the face of equally interesting and complex foes. I never know where we'll end up in these stories; twists keep coming at the reader throughout the telling.

I really like how in each new volume we examine one of the Irregulars a little bit closer than we have before. In this one, we learn a bit about Betty Bent, who the rest of the gang worry is too nice for her own good in certain situations. She has suffered from low self-esteem in the past, and she has gotten herself into trouble before, but she is ready to prove herself by being the one sent on a mission to Paris in order to help Kiki.

Miller has a great command of simile and language, and I often found myself laughing at one-liners. My only problem was that I was sad the Irregulars started to have romance added into their lives. I understand that it's normal and should be expected, but a part of me still wishes boys were not added into the mix. Oh well!

I loved how original it all is, and really the whole series is just a lot of fun. I highly recommend these books, including this newest addition, to anyone who likes adventure, espionage, and intrigue, especially in teen literature.

Disclosure: I received this book, along with the two earlier books in the series, from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.