In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Yay, Blogger is finally letting me upload my own pictures again, so I don't need to make a video!  Here it is:

- 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma
- Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
- Black City by Elizabeth Richards
- Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

These are all books I bought/won in giveaways!  17 & Gone came out a week or two ago and is absolutely incredible.  The story is so haunting and lovely and the writing's gorgeous.  Clockwork Princess is, of course, amazing - my favorite book of 2013 so far.  (And if that epilogue does not make you cry, then you have no heart.)  I haven't read Black City or Smart Girls Get What They Want yet, but they both sound amazing!

What did you get this week?

~ The Bookworm

Book Review: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Goodreads summary:

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory’s brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she’s become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades—the city’s secret ghost-fighting police—are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it’s too late.

In this follow-up to the Edgar Award-nominated THE NAME OF THE STAR, Maureen Johnson adds another layer of spectacularly gruesome details to the streets of London that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

My review:

I really enjoyed The Name of the Star, so I was thrilled when I found out there was going to be a sequel.  However, The Madness Underneath isn't quite as good as the first book.  It's still a good sequel and worth reading if you liked the first book, but it wasn't everything I was hoping it would be.

I think my favorite part of these stories is the humor.  Rory is a hilarious main character, and I found mysef loving her internal monologue and sarcastic quips.  Like, one funny little line when she was talking to Stephen: "I think people would like a singing policeman.  Makes life seem more like a musical." (Actually, that whole scene was funny!)  So yeah, I love Rory's sense of humor, and it's definitely what made me enjoy the story.

What disappointed me was the lack of action.  TNotS had its share of creepy moments, but The Madness Underneath is a little less...thrilling.  In the summary for it, it says it will "keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end."  Sadly, this isn't really true.  A good portion of the book is focused on Rory's personal life - her relationships with friends and family, and school.  Lots and lots about Rory trying to keep up with school, her grades, etc.  Also, I ended up guessing the "bad guy" right away; it was pretty obvious and I got a little annoyed with Rory when she didn't figure it out.

Still, despite that the story was lacking the scary thriller-ish feel, I still enjoyed it.  I love that it's set in London, and the whole idea with the ghosts is unique and interesting.  That, along with the major cliffhanger at the end, means I'll definitely be reading the next book!

My rating:  6 out of 10 (3 stars)

~ The Bookworm

ARC Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Goodreads summary:

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

My review:

Going into this, I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations - I loved Pushing the Limits so much, I wondered if this companion novel would manage to be as good.  Well, Dare You To surpassed my expectations and more.  It's just as raw and beautiful and addictive as Pushing the Limits is.

We already know Beth a little, as we were introduced to her in the first book.  Ryan, however, is a new character.  And okay, I admit it, I like Ryan better than Noah. :) It took me a while to start liking Noah in Pushing the Limits, but Ryan?  He's so sweet and real.  I loved him!  (Oh, and did I mention he's a writer?  That made him like ten times more swoon-worthy!)

I love Beth too.  Heck, I love all the characters in this book; they are never cliche, and are all so realistic and relatable.  Like Beth's Uncle Scott.  I love his character and how he gives Beth a second chance and is genuinely trying to help her.  And Lacy!  Oh my word, she might have just been a minor character, but she was oh-so-awesome.  The way she sticks up for Beth and remains a friend to her no matter what, is so touching and sweet.

Back to Beth...she's tough on the outside, but she's hurting on the inside.  At first, she's almost a hard character to like, but when you realize how hard she's trying to save her mother, you can't help sympathizing for her and rooting for her.  She transformed into such a powerful, amazing character.

The romance was absolutely perfect.  I was so worried it would come across as cheesy or unbelievable, but never once did it feel unrealistic.  Katie McGarry writes romance so well.  Really, there are no more words to say.  I adored it.

And the writing?  Amazing!  It hooks you right from the beginning and the story's paced perfectly.  I never got bored with the story or thought it stretched out too long.  The writing is just so addicting, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Dare You To is a must-read for sure.  It's more than just a cute romance - it's real and heartbreaking and that's what makes it so perfect.  Katie McGarry is definitely one of my favorite contemporary authors.  I'm insanely excited to read the third book, Crash Into You!  Goodreads says that it comes out in November; so hopefully that's true - I won't be able to wait any longer than that! :)

My rating:  10 out of 10 (5 stars)

~ The Bookworm

Waiting on Wednesday: Goddess

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to read.

My pick is Goddess by Josephine Angelini!

Goodreads summary:

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

My thoughts:

This cover, you guys.  Do I even need to say anymore about it?  It's stunning.  I"m simply in love with the colors, the model's pose, everything.  It's perfect!

I am so excited that there's only two more months of waiting till Goddess comes out.  As a huge fan of Greek mythology, I've absolutely adored this series.  So excited to find out how the story concludes!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

~ The Bookworm

Cover Reveal: Frigid by J. Lynn

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

 

Frigid will be available in digital formats on July 30^th 2013

Print release of Frigid will be November 5^th 2012

Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16122034-frigid?ac=1

 

 

 

J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout, is a # 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. She lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Twitter  https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout
Website http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/

Book Review: Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein

Goodreads summary:

What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if?

My review:

I really wanted to love this book, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.  I found it hard to care for the main character, and some parts of the plot just seemed unrealistic to me.

Cassie is an interesting main character.  You start off disliking her, and I know she's the type of character who's supposed to grow and change so that you end up liking her at the end of the story.  However, while I did feel sorry for her by the end of the book, I still didn't like her much, and I didn't like some of the choices she made.  But, I've read quite a few other reviews where people ended up loving Cassie, so this might just be me.

The romance was okay.  It was both realistic and unrealistic.  On Cassie's side, I can see why she doesn't want to let herself trust and fall in love with Ben (this part of her character was done very well), but this went on for so much of the book that I started wondering when she'd finally admit she was in love with him.  As for Ben, I didn't think it was realistic that he never gave up on Cassie.  For one thing, she kept a lot of secrets, so he didn't even know her that well.  And after her rejecting him so much, I was surprised he still kept coming back.

I like some of the supporting characters, though.  Rawe, Nez, Troyer were all complex characters.  But to be honest, the plot lost my interest at times.  A lot of what happens while Cassie's at camp is just kind of boring to read about, and it was only the fact that I liked some of the minor characters that made it more interesting.  Also, I wish some of the swear words had been edited out.  I understand that it's part of Cassie's character and is meant to show how tough she is, but it was really just overkill sometimes, and it did lessen my enjoyment of the story.

I have conflicted feelings about Dear Cassie.  While I didn't like the main character and had some problems with the plot, it wasn't by any means a terrible read - just not for me.  I'll have to try some of this author's other books sometime; hopefully I'll like them better.  If Dear Cassie looks interesting to you, and you like reading about tough heroines, I'd say this is worth giving a try.

* I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thanks!

My rating:  5 out of 10 (2.5 stars)

~ The Bookworm

Book Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads summary:

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My review:

All I can say is WOW.  This is how you write a sequel.  Scarlet is every bit as good as the first book, Cinder - maybe even better.  I love the way Marissa Meyer seamlessly ties the fairytale aspects into the plot.  And her characters?  Amazing.

When I started Scarlet, I was nervous about all the new characters being introduced and if the story would flow well with so many point of views.  Well, I needn't have worried.  I adored the three new characters, Scarlet, Wolf, and Thorne.  I like how Scarlet is no damsel in distress - she's tough, smart, and easy to admire.  I loved Wolf right from the start, and while he is the "strong and silent" type, his character never feels cliche.  And Thorne provides great comic relief without ever feeling like a mere plot device.

Then there's the plot, which is simply fantastic.  At first, it's almost like there's two separate storylines (Scarlet's, Cinder's, and actually kind of Kai's, too), but it never gets too confusing or complicated.  I loved how the different storylines and subplots were all intertwined.  This story is brilliantly plotted.  We find out lots more about Cinder, and also learn quite a bit about Scarlet's family's past.

I know some people didn't like the romance between Wolf and Scarlet, and I can see why.  It's pretty much insta-love, as they really don't know each other for a long time.  But, I felt like in the short time they spent together, they formed a strong bond.  I was pretty startled when I realized, "Hey, they've only known each other for a couple days" because it seemed like so much longer.  Meyer wrote the romance very well and managed to make it believable.

And the writing was great!  The prose isn't gorgeous or lyrical or anything, but it's full of just the right amounts of description, dialogue, etc.  It's easy and fast to read, which is unusual for me in a sci-fi book.  But the author writes about all the technology in a way that makes it easy to envision and understand.  The only thing I think could have been improved is the setting - I mean, they're in Europe.  I totally would've loved to see more description about the land.

If you haven't started this series yet, then you must give it a try.  Even if you're not a fan of fairytales or sci-fi, this is worth reading for its amazing characters and exciting plots.  I can't wait to read about Rapunzel in the third book, Cress!

My rating:  10 out of 10 (5 stars)

~ The Bookworm