Review of Wither by Lauren Destefano

Goodreads Synopsis:


At age 16, Rhine Ellery has four years to live. Thanks to a botched effort to create a perfect race, all females live to age 20 and males live to age 25. On the cusp of her 17th birthday, Rhine attempts to flee, but what she finds is a society spiraling out of control.


(To Expand on the Goodreads synopsis)


Rhine is forced to marry a baron--one of two other girls kidnapped for this polygamous marriage. At first she wants to hate this man, but the closer she gets to him--the more she sees that there may be other forces at work. And she comes to know her sister wives and a certain servant in ways she never imagined.  


My Take:


I loved the premise of this book. I also LOVE the cover. Anything to do with genetics and  I'm very interested. Unfortunately, this book didn't deliver as promised. Some people love quiet novels like this. I for one--don't. Though this could be a matter of taste. I really really wanted to love this book, sadly, I merely liked it. It's not to say that the book is terrible, on the contrary I find the world that Destefano creates to be quite intriguing and different from the usual dystopian society. The problem was that Destefano only touched upon specific aspects of her world, but never truly explained them. I felt like a major plot point was left out at the end of the book--something I wanted more of. Also, the love interest is absent for a good portion of the book, to the point where I found myself wondering what the main character saw in him. It was as if he was out of her thoughts for most of the book. I actually stopped 3/4 into this book and read Obsidian then came back to finish Wither. Granted, the idea is ambitious and perhaps because much of the book is set on a restricted floor of a mansion we don't get as much of the outside world as we should. Still, I may pick up the second book just to see. I still really loved the concept.


My rating 3.6 stars


Cheers,


Elizabeth

Review of Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Goodreads Synopsis: 


Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.


My Take:


Let me first say--to Jennifer--I've never met you, but you've wowed me and congratulations on this fabulous book! I absolutely loved this book. Here's why. A) As a writer and occasional blogger I can relate to the main character. Hell, I think anyone can. She's a teenage girl--a real one--not some supposed teenager with a 30-year-old's voice coming out of her. B) Daemon. Oh god, Daemon. C) Daemon again,  but seriously if you're looking for a book filled with so much sexual tension and fun arguments (trust me, you'll feel the heat wafting off the pages) then this is for you. It carried the usual YA paranormal romance vibe, but I felt the sci-fi edge gave it a unique twist. D) You're gunna LOVE Daemon. Well, you're gunna hate him, but god, you're gunna love him. That's all I can say. Read it yourself and find out. I will add that Katy is a great character and not the usual woe is me, how is this guy gunna save me next kinda girl? She makes some sacrifices and that really made me like her. I won't say anymore. 


This book has made me believe that if I just delve deep enough I'll find a book I can't put down. I NEED these books. Am I going to read the next one in the series? Oh sweet Jesus--YES!


My rating 4.9 stars


(Yeah, I'm finicky with my 5 star ratings)


******On a side note. This book was released by Entangled Publishing a brand new--barely a year old--venture. I must say, if this is any indication as to the kinds of books Entangled is releasing, I see a VERY bright future ahead for them. Thanks for the great read!

That's YAMore: Love & Then Some

Oasis for YA is hosting a blogfest in honor of Valentine's Day. Basically, post your most swoon-worthy and romantic moments. I settled for funny, yet romantic from the guy's POV. This is from my latest WIP It's Coop Not Cupid. 

Not to mention Writing With Hope is hosting one too! "Is it Getting Hot in Here?" Going to kill two birds with one stone!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shit. Shit. Shit. Here came the tears. I could see them glossing over her eyes. They were silent when they fell. Alex leaned into me. 

“I feel so damn pathetic.” Then the crying came. She tried hard to muffle them, poor girl.

Just seeing her there on my lap, sobbing like some kind of raccoon, I couldn’t help it. Something inside me twisted and I tugged on her chin. She looked up at me.

“You’re not pathetic, okay.”

Maybe it was the puppy-dog eyes or my lack of judgment, but I kissed her. I kissed her hard and full, pulling her closer to me.  

Thing was...she kissed back.

The ride halted as we parted. There stood Sam, eying me with a look I could only interpret as hatred. I grinned. Gods, I couldn’t help it. That prick had it coming. I wrapped an arm around Alex as we stepped off. It was about time he proved himself. Did he like the girl or not?

“Coop,” Alex whispered. “What did we…?”

I smiled. “Don’t worry. Now, we’ll see how that Sam of yours really feels.”

“Wait, that was just a test?” She looked up, then slowly a smile spread onto her pink lips.

“You know,” she said. “That was my first kiss that was just fun and didn’t mean a darn thing. That was kind of awesome.”

I raised a brow. “What’d you expect? I’m the god of love, sweetheart.”

The Writer's Journey

Hello Lovlies,

I've never really talked much about my querying process, but I was interviewed the other day on here by fellow writer, Beth Fred, which got me thinking. I've been striving toward my goal of getting an agent and published for quite some time on and off. At least since spring of 2009. Wow. Spring of 2009. Granted in between that time I've graduated high school, visited colleges, gone to college,  and have managed to get about 4-5 internships under my belt. Now, I'm a second semester junior--probably a senior credit hour-wise by now.

But it is interesting to see where I've ended up since then. Was I really ready to get published at the age of seventeen? Probably not. Was I really ready for all the rejection I faced? At first no. Now, when one comes shooting into my inbox I think, "Pass me a Milano cookie and let's shoot off two more queries." Let's face it, this is a business of thick skin. Build it up and wear it proud. I've made plenty of mistakes--like thinking my work of YA genre fiction was literary HAH. My professors would laugh me out of the room if I EVER mentioned that. Even querying agents with a ridiculously LONG query. Luckily mine is about 3 paragraphs now. Short, sweet, and to the point. In fact, I think I'm a pretty darn good query writer. (Or so I think lol)

My point is we're all going to make mistakes along the way. We're all going to find our moment to shine. The writer's journey is all about finding your place in the literary world. I just have to say--the publishing industry as a whole has been awesome. Am I happy I discovered it? Yes--I don't have the words. To everyone on Twitter, YALitChat, and just about every writer's blog out there. We're here. We're listening to your words. And I for one hope for only the best for all of you.

For those who are always striving. Always pushing forward even after rejection. Don't worry. You'll make it as long as you never give up.

So I raise a glass of apple cider (not yet 21) to my fellow writers who through everything--the hardships and the struggles--are STILL here and still trying. Now, THAT's something to be proud of.

Let's make 2012 our YEAR!

Lotsa love guys,

Liz <3

Cat's Don't Dance's OUR TIME HAS COME says it better than I ever could.

 

Review of the Audiobook Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

I feel like my last two reviews have not been the most, "OMG, I'm in love". So I decided to do an audiobook review! Now, a quick note. I'm going to be reviewing more than just the story, but also the narrator and the audio effect. Also, I know this isn't a YA or MG novel, but it is an exception. 


GoodReads Synopsis:


Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets: Secrets from her boyfriend: I’ve always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken. Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur. Secrets she wouldn’t share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is. Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.…Until Emma comes face-to-face with Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her...


My Take:


I've listened to Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep a Secret at least 3 times. I'm in college and have a long car ride whenever I go home. I LOVE audiobooks. So I will be reviewing plenty of these. The audiobook is read by Emily Gray, who I must say did a fabulous job. An annoying narrator can easily turn a reader off, one reason why I had to turn off the City of Bones. Sad, I know. Emily Gray's ability to go from deep to a high pitched squeak works wonders when it comes to believability. Meaning, I was able to distinguish between each character by voice, tone, and pitch. This ability really makes a listener feel like we're actually listening to different people speaking, which in my humble opinion is hard to do when you don't have a full cast audiobook. I found myself going, "I know that deep voice! That's Jack!" Or, ""Ah I know that voice. It could only be...Artemis."


Okay, I'm almost done singing the narrator's praises. Really, it worked because Emily Gray knew just when to chuckle, snort, or what kind of high pitched tone was needed for any comedic or oddball parts. This is a great read or listen. Sophie Kinsella keeps the reader on their toes. Just when you think the guy can't find out anything more embarrassing you're hearing about how she has no idea if she has a G-spot and where and with whom she lost her virginity. What I love about this is the fact that Emma is just a regular twenty-something-year-old trying to find her way in the world. She's got all those embarrassing secrets we girls tend to keep, but would never say out loud. Kinsella is bold. I mean who really writes about trying to find one's G-spot? Okay, I'm giggling as I write this. 


You'll laugh. This is a total fun, light read, but the main character is totally relatable. A little pathetic at times, but come on, who doesn't have their moments?


My Rating:


4.1 out of 5

Review of Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

A note. I'm trying really hard not to give any spoilers away, but I wanted to be a bit detailed on why I rated it what I rated it. You've been forewarned.

Synopsis From GoodReads:

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...

My Take:

I was originally drawn to the premise, since, right off the bat I realized it was a retelling of Lysistrata. I was excited, this had to get interesting. For those who don't know, Lysistrata is a Greek play where the women want to end a war so they refuse sex to their husbands etc.  It piqued my curiosity more than The Duff, which I have yet to read, although I've been considering it. Lissa is the girlfriend of a football player. He's constantly forgetting about her because of a stupid and sometimes violent rivalry with the soccer team. Thing is, I was expecting more from this book, but I really didn't connect with the main character, nor the others. There was also a character--an old friend of Lissa's--who ended on bad terms with her, but their issues felt like they resolved too quickly. Actually their issues felt non-existent when there should have been some sort of tension.

 I feel bad saying this, but occasionally it felt like Lissa was a teenager with adult wants and tendencies. Like I was getting a little of the author and NOT Lissa. It would have been fine if they had been just a bit more believable. Leading into that, toward the end the novel got a tad preachy about respecting how one feels about sex, but it was to an extent that felt forced within the novel. Almost like, "And the lesson is..." I'm all for a lesson or having the character grow or learn something about themselves and others at the end, but here it just didn't ring true. That's all I will say on the matter.

Yes, I had a few qualms while reading it. The characters weren't as developed as I would have hoped but it was straight teen gossip. You had the fun cliche characters and the slut who was happy as she was. I genuinely liked her, though wished for a tad more development. It was a a fun, yet light read. Nothing overly emotional. Call it a beach read. 

My Rating:

3.5/5

Review of Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Well, I figured I'd kick off the New Year with one of my resolutions: revamp the blog and include book reviews. Here is my very first review and I will follow a 1-5 scale rating. 1 being the worst and 5 being *sqee* utterly amazing OMG I'm in love. Simple, no?

Review of Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Synopsis from Good Reads:

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn't, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love-again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.

Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgement, she's opening up agian, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn't. But when she's offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free or her curse is giving him up.

My Take:

Honestly, this is the first book I've read about a Siren. It's also one of the first that intrigued me enough to pick it up. An interesting tale on how a teenage Siren has murdered the boy she loved and two years later is paying for it through her self-inflicted outcast status. Mandy Hubbard's style reminds me so much of chic-lit, similar to Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella's styles. It's light, although this work is one of her darker novels. It still holds true to the teenage voice.

One issue with the novel was the fact that her love interest wasn't as fleshed out as I would have hoped, while some of Lexi's decisions just didn't ring true. The story was entertaining. I finished it in two days on a trip to Disney World, but will I remember this novel this time next year? Probably not. The characters just didn't make me fall in love with them, like I would for a great series like Tamora Pierce's The Lioness Quartet. Sometimes it felt as though the pacing was a little too fast and the reader could have done with a little slowing down to flesh out the other characters that had entered Lexi's life. I wanted more to matter and it just didn't. That is not to say that this isn't a fun and entertaining read. The fast pace does keep and hold one's attention, so there is no dying halfway through wondering where the plot has gone. Hubbard throws you in head first and hopes you can swim. All in all, not a bad read.

My rating:

3.75/5