First Impressions Friday (17)

First Impressions is a meme hosted here at Within Pages where we take a look at all things, mostly booky, and reflect on our initial thoughts. Non-bloggers, non-book bloggers, and everyone alike can participate on any topic you'd like. Feel free to drop your links or thoughts in the comments!

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The Hunger Games Official Trailer

This movie looks phenomenally fantastic. Some of it is considerably different than how I was envisioning it; for example, I was imagining a much more dingy situation for District 12, like the "dystopian" green tint to life as if the sun never shone. But just because something is different doesn't mean it can't be good. This movie looks like it will be packed just like the book and I can't wait for March 2012!

What are your thoughts? Have you read The Hunger Games? If not, are you waiting until you watch the movie?

Cover Lover: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Welcome to my first cover comparisonI was recently sitting down to do the review of this book when I was plundering Goodreads, I noticed something of sheer beauty. The cover! Why yes, the US cover is beautiful and graceful, but it doesn't stop there.

Most of the times there is a difference in covers between the countries they are published in. US and the UK are some of the most stark differences and usually convey different aspects or interpretations of the story held within the pages. This book is special. Take a look at the beautiful craftsmanship through all the country editions. Swoon and be vain and do judge this book by its cover!

The Australian Edition (My Favorite)

US Edition - UK Edition - Portuguese Edition

Shatter Me Release & Trailer

Releasing today is the new dystopian debut, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is hitting the shelves today, November 15 from HarperTeen. This book has already had flooded the blog world with amazing reviews and I am lucky enough to have the ARC! Be on the lookout for the review here at Within Pages and be sure to check out the synopsis and official book trailer!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Goodreads | Amazon

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

Review: Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille

Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: Coscom Entertainment (November 1, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (ebook): 280
Series: The Ferryman & The Flame (Book 1)
Source: Author
ISBN-13: 9781927339022
Genre: Fantasy
Author: Website

Bloom the weed of temptation and expire the great garden of life. Bloom the flower of sacrifice and sustain the great garden in strife.

The boy who follows death meets the girl who could cause the apocalypse.

Krishani thinks he’s doomed until he meets Kaliel, the one girl on the island of Avristar who isn’t afraid of him. She’s unlike the other girls, she swims with merfolk, talks to trees and blooms flowers with her touch. What he doesn’t know is that she’s a flame, one of nine individually hand crafted weapons, hidden in the body of a seemingly harmless girl.

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Rhiannon Paille has created a wonderful and solid world of fantasy in her debut Young Adult novel Flame of Surrender. This book features two established characters Krishani and Kaliel as they are coming of age and facing the prophecies they are predisposed to fulfill.

It is easy to find yourself immersed in this tale of triumph, sacrifice, and love. At the moment, I regrettably have had to abandon our heroes in their journey for this book requires full attention and isn't meant to be read in simplicity. It is in the author's description and introduction to the world, that exist a lot of high intensity vocabulary worlds, as with any self created world, and a lot of concepts to absorb. This type of reading is akin to the same intensity that can be found wtih reading epic fantasies from authors like Tolkien or George R. R. Martin.

This book is not for the faint of heart or the light reader. Immediately, you are thrown into the lives of established characters in an established world and you should expect to have to catch up on your own. If you have the opportunity to tackle this selection, it could open up a world of fantastic wonder for you, but for some others, you may find yourself irrevocably lost which is where I found myself.

In My Mailbox (21)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren; here we share with you, the lovely readers, what books came to us this week whether it be in the mail, from the library, purchased or borrowed.

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It seems that I have a lot of catching up to do. I haven't been doing an In My Mailbox for the times I get a book every couple of weeks but it seems as if the books have now piled up on me (not that I am complaining)! So let's take a look at a recap of the last month or so, shall we?

Won

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Under the Never Sky (ARC) by Veronica Rossi

Thank you Kari @ A Good Addiction & HarperTEEN!!

Bought

The Iron Knight** by Julie Kagawa

The Shattering: Prelude to the Cataclysm by Christie Golden

**Plus lots of swag from the Launch event!**

Thank you Julie Kagawa for signing my book!

Borrowed

Arthas: Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden

From the Library

I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

Review: Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: HarperCollins (April 26, 2010)

Age Group: Young Adult (17+)

Pages (Hardback): 409

Series: Carrie Diaries (Book 2)

Source: Goodreads First Reads

ISBN-13: 9780061728938

Genre: Chick Lit

Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream.

This sequel to The Carrie Diaries brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow"—as Samantha Jones dubs her—to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined.

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If you are a fan of Sex and the City (the show this series prequels) then I feel that you would absolutely love this book; if you are a big fan of Chick Lit, you could enjoy this book. I however, am not a particular fan of either of those two and abandoned this book half-way through the book.

I chose not to give this book a rating because it doesn't deserve a low rating but I didn't enjoy it either. This book has been on the bestseller list for three weeks and is written very well; the content is what I found not gripping.

In the beginning, I thought I had taken an appropriate risk because it started being about Carrie Bradshaw and about her struggling beginning as a writer...then we were introduced to boys. And drinking. And boys. I am not against sex in YA literature, but this book was over-the-top in sex and underage drinking and it quickly became the only focus and it was very distracting.

As I mentioned, this could be your cup of tea, it is very inline with the voice and style of the favorited show, but it doesn't shed an appeal to me and I had been so excited to read it.

Guest Post: Flame of Surrender

Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille

Goodreads | Amazon

Author Rhiannon Paille is stopping by with a guest post in the spirit of release day for her new book Flame of Surrender, Book 1 in the Flame and the Ferryman series. Be on the lookout for the review of this wild fantasy ride!

About Rhi:

Rhi was never a normal girl. She tried, but she couldn’t get rid of the visions, the voices in her head, and the hallucinations. When she was on the edge of crazy someone pulled her back and explained it all. She wasn’t insane. She was psychic, really psychic, too psychic. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She frequents twitter and facebook, and can be found at www.rhiannonpaille.com

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Flame of Surrender Deleted Scenes

There were A LOT of things that got deleted in FoS, so let me try to sum them up and then tell you roughly why.

1) The Villains POV 

There were about 20,000 words from the Villain’s POV that went away. Salvaged from the wreckage was that crazy disturbing torture scene. I loved it, but my BETA readers kept saying the same thing, “I was getting into it and then I hit the Villain POV and it went blah on me.” So I had to take them out because they didn’t work with the flow. We’re not living in the 90’s where Epic Fantasy Authors write 1100 page books and simultaneously follow three or four different storylines at once. We’re in the digital, technology age and we like our books to be one story at a time because there are so many of them out there to read. It’s much friendlier to the reader to divide up all those subplots and do spin offs and separate stories than to build this entirely huge network of a book right off the bat. Plus, agents and editors will go cross eyed if you send them something that’s 250k words and it’s your first book. So I axed this entire thread because it didn’t keep the book flowing.

2) The Tower Scene

This was a scene that originally I hadn’t planned for and then it just happened and then when I was reading the book through and checking all my p’s and q’s I felt like it was just too much. The characters are in turmoil, having this sexy moment between all the stuff on their mind is nice and all, but it’s two pages in the midst of close to four hundred and I didn’t see the point of it being there when there’s all the other kissing scenes and making love scenes already in the book. Plainly, it seemed like overkill, but that doesn’t mean it can’t exist somewhere else right?

3) Krishani destroying things in Amersil

This was crafty of me because in the beginning chapters I talk about five different instances of Krishani destroying things, but I don’t go into vivid detail of these things. That was an earlier version of the book that had the scenes where Krishani destroyed things in the present instead of having flashbacks of destroying things. The reason this was removed was because it didn’t fit into the timeline of the book, and I didn’t want to do any flipping back and forth in the time line. It’s confusing enough chronicling three years of Kaliel andKrishani’s lives without me taking liberties with my author prowess and heading back in time as well as forwards. I always hated it when books would jump around and I had to pay attention to figure out if this scene is from the past, present, or future. The way the book is now, it’s always the present, and time only moves forward, signified by me talking about the seasons, the festivals or straight up saying it’s been six moons. (moons being months)

And that was all the major cuts to the book, I tried to keep my cutting light because the book is 105,00 words now, the first draft was 170,000 words, and then my second draft was 135,000 words. A lot of that was grammar, spelling and sentence structure stuff. I got rid of A LOT of fluff stuff that made no sense and sounded funny.

Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Goodreads | Amazon

 Publisher: HarlequinTEEN (October 25, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Paperback): 386
Series: The Iron Fey (Book 4)
Source: NetGalley
ISBN-13: 9780373210367
Genre: Fantasy (Faeries)
Author: Website | Twitter | Blog
Series Reviews: Book 1 (4.5★) Book 2 (5★) Book 3 (5★) Book 3.5

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.


I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

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Overview:

I have spent the last 300+ pages indulging in my secret love affair with Prince Ash. What is entirely unique about this story from the other books in the series is that Ash is on an impossible mission to keep his vow to Meghan. From the beginning we know what the plot of this book is and it is just a matter of whether or not he succeeds or fails. It is an interesting journey that in the end is gripping and you won't want to put it down.

Review:

Julie Kagawa has perfected the fairy tale ending. The ending to The Iron Queen was devastating and left a void in our hearts where closure belonged for surely that could not be the end to Meghan and Ash. What Julie gave us in this book was magnificant; a journey of sheer impossibility but bold strength and devotion. Twists, turns and confrontations were the key to unraveling the mystery that Prince Ash was.

For the first part of this series, we were in our story from the eyes of Meghan, the human who's fate had become saving all of Nevernever. In Summer's Crossing, we have a brief glimpse into the chaotic yet striking personality of Puck. But here, in The Iron Knight, we grow intimately close with the monster, the pain, the anger, and pure love that Ash is as he begins to grow and sort through his mess of entangled emotions. The true depth of this character had been sealed off from Meghan, and the reader, and this book unleashes a flood of what  it means to be Unseelie. In seeing Ash's history as Winter Prince and knowing who he is now, we can see that this is a tale about overcoming, a strong ideal that all of us are our own person.

The other character favorites we love, Grimalkin and Puck, accompany Ash on this treacherous journey and we are introduced to some new faces that bring an interesting dynamic to the trio. This book, while about Ash, gives a little more insight into Puck; through his interactions with Ash, the prince and the readers begin to have a little bit more of an understanding about the pain that Puck really tries to hide. As an extra bonus, you don't even really have to miss Meghan; Julie has done a fantastic job of intertwining all of the favorite characters.

I loved the characters and I loved the journey that Ash was on to maintain his vow but there was still something missing from this book that I thought was pretty prevalent in the other books: mystery. It isn't anything detrimental and I still loved this book, but from beginning to end we know the journey that Ash has embarked upon and it is only a tale of whether or not he succeeds; can he succeed? It traded mystery for suspense and a long, timeless journey and while the action that occurred was riveting, I felt the journey was just mildly off-pace for such a phenomenal ending.

This book comes with an Epilogue that returns to Meghan's point of view and serves as a non-encompassing ending that still allows our imagination to bloom into the "what shall become of them" and fills that void that we had after The Iron Queen. Also included in the book is a small interview with the author and some wicked guests. The interview actually made me giggle out loud. It was witty and a great addition/end to a book. Also be sure to check out the letter that Ash wrote to Meghan before embarking on his journey. This was released at the Twitter launch party and is a great piece to the puzzle.

Rating out of 5:

Playing Catch Up (date)

In the past month or so, I have fallen extremely behind in my reading, my posting, my seemingly everything. I have two books that are nearly finished and several things that are lined up that need to be done. However, I do apologize for the slack lately. I got overwhelmed after my break up, after needing a place to live, stuck in the middle of a terrible job I hated and a desperate job search that was going no where.

Things have settled down now and by the end of November I have a place to live and as of yesterday, I am employed in my local public library! I can't tell you how awesome that is. I also have another job to help supplement for the holidays and things. I am finally able to even contemplate free-time and blogging business again. My brain particles aren't stretched quite so thin. At least until I have to really sit down and start studying for the GRE so I can apply to Library Science school!

On the upside, I have some things lined up (not many due to being behind) and I finally was able to sit down and watch The Iron Knight trailer that debuted last month. I'm finishing up the story right now for the review, so be on the look out for that. In the meantime, if you haven't seen it, check out the awesomeness that is The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa, releasing October 25!

This just screams like it could be a movie. It is phenomenal! I love the dynamics, the iceyness, the aging technology, the shadowing, the EVERYTHING. The only thing...I never really imagine Mab being Asian.

As a Kentuckian, note that Julie Kagawa announced on twitter that she will be doing a launch event at Barnes & Noble in Louisville on release day! Squee!

Review: Eve by Anna Carey

Eve by Anna Carey

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: HarperTeen (October 4, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Hardcover): 3
Series:  The Eve Trilogoy (Book 1)
Source: NetGalley
ISBN-13: 9780062048509
Genre: Dystopia

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

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Overview:

This book takes some digesting; with ideas and realism, the concept of survival is wonderfully crafted. Eve is a wonderful, true heroine and we watch as the whole idea of truth begins to unravel as she experiences the world with us. A great dystopian society set in America in Anna Carey's new novel!

Review:

This book is thick and heavy with realistic ideas and concepts that could face the world's population someday. In a dystopian environment, in a world where the government sets such beautiful imagery, the truth behind such ecstasy is ugly and harsh.

In this world, one of the ugly truths is that children are squandered into the unknowing labor to the King. Eve is one of these bright young girls to whom we travel through this story with. What we see about Eve is that she is unique in this world; her determination, her intelligence, her truth, her cowardice, and her hidden strength. Eve is an amazingly true heroine for teens reading Young Adult literature right now. She is well structured, entirely not prepared, and begins to question the reality of the world and the truths that she has always known.

The pace of this book is steady, even if the idea of staying on the run to merely survive is a little overdone. Books like this, regardless of the expertise in its crafting, can tend to lean the reader towards the hopeless side. The same struggles that cycle repetitiouslyare there and in this way, Eve isn't perfect; she doesn't have all the answers. That is what makes her realistic and true in my eyes.

Anna Carey has set us into a world of chilling truths and suspenseful possibilities. With a character as individually unique is Eve, it will continue to be interesting to see this fight for survival. Will Eve grow into a strong, defined heroine? Will she continue to be a budding but utterly confused by the truth teenager? What will book two in this trilogy hold? I'm interested to find out.

Rating out of 5:

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: Quirk Publishing (June 7, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (eBook): 225
Source: Bought
ISBN-13: 9781594745133
Genre: Historical/Paranormal
Author: Twitter | Website

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
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Overview:

Ransom Riggs has created a naturally creepy world within reality. Focusing on Jacob and the mission he undergoes after the death of his grandfather, we are introduced to some of the most unique characters YA may have ever seen. This historical fiction set September 1940 is slowly paced but packs interesting twists and riveting detail. However, the ending, while it is sophisticated and realistic, is not what one would expect from a stand-alone read.

Review:

This dual genre selection is a wonderfully, chilling creation by a talented writer. This book and its cover set you up to believe that you might just be in for the haunted thrill ride of your reading life; but instead, you get an unraveling mystery and the dangers of the peculiar world.

This book is hauntingly paranormal yet oddly contemporary even in such a historical setting. The story is deep and the vintage photographs adds a new and interesting dimension to the book. However, some of the images are difficult to really understand what is going on. I understand they're vintage and authentic but at a certain point the lack of clarity in the images hinders the usefulness of it, but they were still very unique and effective.

What was most impressive was that the images were so relevant and integral to the description of the characters. The characters all had such unique and individually defined personalities that they were all stars of this book. In some instances, the naming choices tended to run together and left me sorting through the character list to make sure I knew who I was reading about.

The implementation of the plot throughout the entire book is fantastically well done but the book still lacked a strong pace. In the beginning, before finding the house, the story was drudgery. There was no solid indication of the things that would later blow our minds, there was no significant action, just a slow introduction to what might be a delusional 18-year-old boy.

Overall, this book could very well be a stand alone but it left me with a sense of a cliffhanger; perhaps something more is in store for the peculiar children, but maybe not. The ending was a little sudden and wasn't definitive enough for me to enjoy the fact that this was intended as a stand alone.

Rating out of 5:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Release & Trailer

Releasing today is what may be one of the most anticipated YA Books of 2011; The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is hitting the shelves today, September 27. This book has flooded the blog world with phenomenal reviews and the countdowns have been plastered everywhere! Check out the synopsis and official book trailer!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Goodreads | Amazon

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

First Impressions Friday (16)

First Impressions is a meme hosted here at Within Pages where we take a look at all things, mostly booky, and reflect on our initial thoughts. Non-bloggers, non-book bloggers, and everyone alike can participate on any topic you'd like. Feel free to drop your links or thoughts in the comments!

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Divergent Book Two: Insurgent Cover Reveal

Unlike the first book, this cover is dark with the skies of a dystopian world. What an ominous picture for the setting of Veronica Roth's new release in the Divergent Trilogy.

The emotion that I get from this cover is one of struggle, hopelessness, despair, and war. Having read the first book, I know those are all appropriate themes that I should be able to take away from the cover. With the tree spinning as it is in the center, I feel that it is saying something about the cycle of life, or as a theme in the book, the cycle of human nature.

One choice can destroy you.

What are we chosing? What decisions face Four and Tris and the rest of the characters in Insurgent? The very definition of insurgent tells us we should expect a thrill ride of adventure this time from Roth. I can't wait!

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. (September 1, 2009)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Hardcover): 391
Series: The Hunger Games (Book 2)
Source: Bought
ISBN-13: 9780439023498
Genre: Dystopia
Author: Website
Series Reviews: Book 1 (5★)

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol.

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Overview:

The thrill of this book takes a considerable amount of time getting started. Unlike The Hunger Games, this book starts out very slow, with a long setup of the theme for this book. There is the agonizing threat and changes that are beginning to take place in Panem since Katniss and Peeta won the Games. The delicate balance of the love triangle is thrown into a tighter net with the announcement of the Quell. This book has interesting deaths and interesting desire behind it, but was missing something that gripped me like the first book, though I still really enjoyed it.

Review:

While lackluster in comparison to The Hunger Games, this book still has all the rights of being the sequel. The first thing that you notice about the first book is the thrill of action and it maintains that theme throughout the whole book. The first thing you notice about this book is that the beginning is a complete opposite.

With no further creation and depth of characters, we stay on the mainstream plot lines that were established for the characters through and at the end of the first book. We know that Katniss is strong, fierce, and independent but this book doesn't really continue to nurture that side of her; instead it takes her down the path of confusion and unable to bolster the responsibility of her actions. The same lack of definition exists with Peeta and Gale as well. What was once a carefully constructed and fragile love triangle is now a mash up of teenage confusion and anger.

However, once being able to get past the first half of the book and into the action heavy part, we are introduced to thick plot of conspiracy and rebellion all the while we are set in an amazing new arena. While the deaths were not as thrilling or unique, the remaining support characters that we witness were interesting and mysterious which adds a connection to the action.

Overall, this book was considerably slow in the beginning and the characters lacked further growth and depth but we were still thrown into the dystopian world of Suzanne Collins that we grew to love in the first installment. In this book, we got a new concept aside from a misconstrued existence in Panem; we were thrust into the middle of the underground, of the rebellion, of the conspiracy and what an intriguing place it is to be.

Rating out of 5:

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: HarperTeen (August 31, 2010)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Hardback): 335
Series: Paranormalcy (Book 1)
Read Next: Supernaturally
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9780061985843
Genre: Paranormal

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.
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Overview: 

Kiersten White writes in such an easy voice that it is very easy to construct the idea of Evie. Journalistic in its writing, we accompany Evie through the trials of a confused teenage girl; eager for all her teenage life but never understanding the truth. White creatively uses other characters, like Reth and Fehl, to weave together a story that twists, turns, and leaves you begging to understand...to know the truth.

Review:

Gripping and easy to read this book is a fantastic read. The connection in this book can easily be achieved and maintained through the simplicity of the voice that is used to develop Evie as a character. She is the first thing that really manages to capture your attention; with the story told from her perspective, we have a unique look at the way the world is seen through a special individuals eyes.

And what an interesting world it is to see. This book provides such a collection of interesting paranormal beings in one setting that it pulls in a sense of all the glamor and magic that could be surrounding us everyday. This book also offers unique paranormals that, even in my wildest fantasy readings, have never encountered. From the huldras to the interesting depictions of elementals such as Cressada and even the concept behind Evie herself, Kiersten White has added her individual interpretations of each of these beings to create a beautiful and unprecedented magical world.

Each character has a well defined life in the existence of this paranormal world and the journey Evie ends up on to unravel her own mystery is deep and thoughtful. Connected to faery tales and simple paranormals, this book excites us through its adventures, its confusions, its creatures, and its mysteries. Expertly crafted and a great recommendation for young adult paranormal fans!

Rating out of 5:

First Impressions Friday (15)

First Impressions is a meme hosted here at Within Pages where we take a look at all things, mostly booky, and reflect on our initial thoughts. Non-bloggers, non-book bloggers, and everyone alike can participate on any topic you'd like. Feel free to drop your links or thoughts in the comments!

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Breaking Dawn Trailer

So they have released a new Breaking Dawn trailer and this one has my excitement peaked! It covers a lot of the aspects about the book that I was wondering about including the point in which they end Part 1 to begin Part 2. I can say that I think this looks phenomenal; however, I don't seem to recall a time in the book when the wolves actually attack anyone. I just re-read it recently and I just don't recall this at all, so that will be an interesting thing to see.

I think that with each movie they have made Edward look more and more like a vampire and in the same beat, it makes it even more questionable as to why the wedding is in the daytime. I think the makeup for Bella during her pregnancy is done pretty well and I can't wait to see how this all plays out. Only a month and 2 days away!

According to the facebook fan page, tickets will go on sale for the midnight release 10/1! Are you ready?

The Milestone

Okay, so this isn't the best way to bring in the 6 month milestone for my book blog but it is still a milestone nonetheless! After six months I have had a wonderful time and think that the blog is blossoming so well! I have over 100 followers in Google Friend Connect, have reviewed two ARCs with the third one lined up (and three books unread!), have had almost 2000 unqiue visits, and have been receiving so many emails (still working on comments hehe)!

The sad part is that I would love to have a giveaway for this monument but a general update is that I am still in the midst of my job search and in the life change from the break up and needing a place to live, applying for graduate school, etc. So at the moment, I am just celebrating the success and thanking you all for your continued support! Even now, when I am so boogled and bumfuzzled, you are here reading what I have to say about some amazing selections in young adult literature and that means everything to me.

Thank you so much for helping me reach this point and thank you for supporting me through your understanding during a difficult time!

Ladybird, Ladybird Release & Trailer

Ladybird, Ladybird by Abra Ebner

Goodreads

Samantha was born on a full moon to a mother already dead. Revived by doctors and given to her unloving father, Samantha was raised a cursed child, her only friend the ghost of her mother who speaks to her through keys.

From the inside out, Sam burned with life, a fire so vivid it kept her peers at a distance, all except one. Leith, a quiet farmboy with a broken heart and demons of his own, enjoys the seclusion his classmates grant him, but the seclusion is all too familiar to Sam.

When their worlds collide... fires burn.

As part of their release event, Crimson Oak Publishing is giving away five $50 American Express gift cards. In turn they're also sponsoring a blogger reward where referral clicks to our specific GIVEAWAY LINK can help us win a Kindle. Click your way through! If I happen to win, really...it is like YOU win!

First Impressions Friday (14)

First Impressions is a meme hosted here at Within Pages where we take a look at all things, mostly booky, and reflect on our initial thoughts. Non-bloggers, non-book bloggers, and everyone alike can participate on any topic you'd like. Feel free to drop your links or thoughts in the comments!

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The Hunger Games Teaser Trailer

As far as teaser trailers go, this video (released during the 2011 MTV Music Awards) barely wet our feet with excitement for the movie to release in 2012. Jennifer Lawrence, a Kentucky native, as Katniss looks to be a perfect match up. From the very small snips that we get to see, she has talent!

The jury is still out on the casting of Liam Hemsworth as Gale though. We weren't privleged with much on the way of acting so I'm still looking forward to seeing more!

This teaser is great though; a great introduction to a movie that I am sure is to be just as amazing as the book. If you haven't read the book(s), I strongly encourage at least reading the first one. Check out my five star reveiw for more!

Review: Sacrifice by M. Metz and L. Burns

Sacrifice by Melinda Metz & Laura Burns

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: Simon & Schuester Children's (September 20, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Paperback): 256
Series: Crave (Book 2)
Source: Simon & Schuester Galley Grab
ISBN-13: 9781442408180
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series Reviews: Book 1 (5★)

Gabriel and Shay are convinced that they can make their relationship work. Knowing that Shay is half-vampire, Gabriel thinks that his coven will embrace her as one of their own, but instead they view her as an abomination, a thing that doesn’t belong in either world. And they want her dead. Now Gabriel must make the ultimate decision - watch his love be killed by his coven or defy the people closest to him, the people he has spent centuries with to save her.
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Overview:

I love the story that Metz and Burns started in Crave and it continues to maintain its hold on me through Sacrifice. Shay and Gabriel are amazingly constructed and the level of their love is something I "crave" to read about. While repitive at times, there are moments that are nail-biting and make you wonder how it is possible to make it out of this alive. Sacrifice.

Review:

I can't figure out where I want to start with this book. I was madly in love with Crave after my experiment of no reviews and an unknown title. There was so much to love about the story; I loved the spin on vampire lore just as much as I loved the characters.

The first book ends with a monstrous cliffhanger and in one of the smoothest transitions I have ever read, Sacrifice picks up in perfection at the exact following moment. This was an exciting to start to the book; however, the thrill didn't continue to propel excitement through the first chapters. This was the only problem that I had with this book. In the first book, we had such intricate details of the characters coupled with a great and enticing story that pulled you through the entire book. In the beginning of this book, we are left with our desire to have more Gabriel and Shay but not the pull of what was coming next. It was, in the beginning, a constant ebb and flow of  "I love Shay and need her" or "Gabriel loves me, he will find a way here" and any combination thereof with the two of them confessing their eternal love in the confines of their mind.

Once we break free of that cycle, it changes and the action picks up and we get a sense of the Shay that we fell in love with in the first place. We see "realistic" situations and scenarios as Shay takes on the world. In this book, we are introduced to tragedy, betrayal, and sacrifice. I was expecting Sacrifice to be more of a central theme, but it is only there, fleeting in the background and ending in a shocking turn of events.

Overall, I loved reading this book. I pushed through the lull of repetition to find a great story and a wonderful twist. So much of the background to the characters is woven into this story and I think it is a solid end, with no confusion and no questions. There is a possibility of another book, its end is not finite but leaves you with a solid feeling of resolution.

Rating out of 5:

Favorite Quote (ARC):

'You're with me. That's all that matters'...Even though it wasn't all that mattered, it was the most important thing. To both of them.

Hades Release & Trailer

Released yesterady is the sequel to Halo; Hades by Alexandra Adornetto hit the shelves yesterday, August 30 from Fiewel & Friends. This book has already had flooded the blog world with amazing reviews and the buzz surrounding it is intense! Check out the synopsis and official book trailer!

Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
Goodreads | Amazon

Bethany and Xavier are even closer since battling Jake Thorn and his evil influence (in Halo) and Beth and her angel siblings must still protect Venus Cove from the Dark Forces.

When a party game – a séance – inadvertently releases Jake from the Underworld, he disguises himself and tricks Beth into taking a ride on his motorcycle. When the highway opens up and swallows them, Beth learns too late that she’s now a prisoner in hell. What happens to angels there? As her archangel brother, Gabriel, her sister Ivy, Xavier, and her best friend, Molly search for her, Beth must weigh Jake’s bargaining for her freedom: one night with him, and she will be released back to Earth.
Can Jake be trusted in this wager? And is he also using Beth to engineer the fall of the archangel Gabriel? Xavier has already lost one love – when Jake tricks him into thinking that Bethany is dead, his grief and anger result in a betrayal that will leave Bethany – and readers – wondering if he is so good after all.

It will be up to Beth to use everything she’s learned about her powers as an angel – and about love – to free herself and those she loves from the clutches of Hades.

RAK: September

I have signed up to participate in Random Acts of Kindness this month! I think it is a great program with a great idea! If you don't know what RAK is, let me give you a little insight!

Random Act of Kindness is a way for book bloggers to just make someone's day by surprising them with a book they have been dieing to get. Sometimes, this world is so depressing when you think about all the cold and selfishness that is within it, this is a chance for us to beat it down and spread happiness and a love for reading. Created by Isalys and Vanessa at Book ♥ Soulmates and restarts and is open to new participants every month. 

RULES:

• Sign up each month that you'd like to participate.

• Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button :)

• Create a wish list (on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog etc) and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month. 
• Please, once you receive a RAK, come back to the Google doc and mark the box that says you've received one. There are a lot of requests for this!

• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.

• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!

Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Some items from my full wishlist are:

The Vampire Stalker by Alison Van Diepen

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Forgotton by Cat Patrick

Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Hardback, paperback, new or used. I can even accept eBooks now ♥

Thank you to these lovely ladies for such a wonderful opportunity and for hosting this wonderful event!

RAK: August 2011 Wrap Up

I received a fantastic book this month! Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to send one out but the job search continues and it is something I am looking forward to doing. I have been scouring the wishlists for books I may be able to pass on though!

This month I recieved:

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Thank you Amanda!!

Since I read The Giver years ago, with a plan to re-read, I found out from Goodreads that Gathering Blue is the sequel and it has been on my wishlist since! Thank you again!